Phase II study of hexamethylmelamine in refractory Hodgkin's disease, other lymphomas, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

A long-term daily dose of hexamethylmelamine was tested in patients with Hodgkin's disease, nodular and diffuse lymphomas, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia who had failed conventional treatment. There were no responses among 20 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 12 with nodular lymphomas, and 11 with diffuse well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphomas. However, five of 24 patients with Hodgkin's disease (21%) responded and seven of 36 (19%) with diffuse lymphomas other than diffuse well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphomas responded. This new agent is active in selected histologic types of lymphoma.