[NEO-MACOP-B chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced-stage aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma].

We conducted a new chemotherapy, NEO-MAC OP-B (addition of etoposide and mitoxantrone to MACOP-B with half dose of methotrexate and half administration of doxorubicin), to reduce severe mucositis, which is a major toxic effect of MACOP-B, and to increase its effect with etoposide and mitoxantrone as new non-cross resistant drugs. Between Jan. 1989 and Mar. 1993, 12 patients with previously untreated advanced aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), 2 patients with adult T cell lymphoma, and 3 patients with relapsed NHL, were treated with NEO-MACOP-B. After termination of NEO-MACOP-B therapy, 83.3% of 12 patients with previously untreated NHL were in complete remission (CR). After median follow-up of 22 months, Kaplan-Meier estimates showed that overall survival of 12 previously untreated patients was 71.4%, and relapse-free survival of complete responder was 83.3%. Toxic effects on all 17 patients were moderate with a lower incidence of severe mucositis (only one patient with relatively severe stomatitis, WHO Grade 3). No treatment related deaths were observed. Thus, NEO-MACOP-B is an effective and safe treatment for advanced stage aggressive NHL.