EPOCH方案治疗复发和耐药中高度恶性非霍奇金淋巴瘤

背景和目的：复发或耐药非霍奇金淋巴瘤（non-Hodgkin‘s lymphoma,NHL)是肿瘤化疗的难点之一,目前尚无标准的解救方案。临床前研究和临床研究均证明部分抗癌药物持续静脉灌注可提高疗效或降低毒性,本试验的目的为观察用EPOCH方案胸脉灌注治疗NHL患者的疗效和不良反应。方法：2001年6月到2002年6月共收治26例复发或耐药中高度恶性NHL,其中20例（84．7％）患者至少接受2个化疗方案的治疗,中位方案数2（1－6）个,中位疗程数8（3－16）个,15例（65．7％）患者复发耐药;采用含蒽环类药物连续静脉滴注的方案EPOCH（VP－16,EPI／ADM,VCR,CTX,Prednisone)化疗1－6个疗程（中位2个疗程）。结果：本组26例患者均可评价疗效和不良反应,总的客观有效率50％,完全缓解率19．2％,其中T细胞来源NHL有效率为28．6％,B细胞来源NHL为57．9％,26例患者共实施46个疗程化疗,主要不良反应为骨髓抑制,其中Ⅲ-Ⅳ度粒细胞减少发生率为34．8％,Ⅲ-Ⅳ度血小板减少发生率为8．7％,其他不良反应少见。结论：EPOCH是复发或耐药中高度恶性NHL经济有效的解救方案,值得进一步研究推广。

Preliminary outcome for patients with relapsed or resistant advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated by EPOCH regimen

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: In the management of relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL), there is still no standard salvage chemotherapy regimen so far. Potentiation of effectiveness and reduction of toxicity for some anti-cancer agents through continuous intravenous infusion were shown in some pre-clinical and clinical studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of EPOCH regimen. METHODS: A prospective phase II study of EPOCH regimen (doxorubicin/epirubicin,vincristine,etoposide over 96 hours infusion with bolus cyclophosphamade and oral prednisone) was administered to 26 patients with relapsed or refractory/resistant aggressive NHL. There were 20 patients (84.7%) among them treated by over 2 kinds of chemotherapy regimen with median regimen types of 2 (range,1-6 types) and median chemotherapy cycles of 8 (range,3-16 cycles) given for all patients. Fifteen patients (65.7%) were chemo-resistant recurrence. RESULTS: All the 26 patients were assessable.The response rate for the whole group was 50.0% with complete remission (CR) rate of 19.2%. Among the 7 patients with T-cell lymphoma and the 19 patients with B-cell lymphoma, the response rates were 28.6% and 57.9%,respectively. Major toxicity was myelosuppression with 34.8% and 8.7%incidence of grade III-IV neutropenia and thrombocytopenia respectively in all 46 cycles of EPOCH. Other toxicities were mild.CONCLUSION: EPOCH was effective for the patients with relapsed or refractory/resistant aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Continuous infusion schedules of several chemotherapeutic agents may partially reverse chemo-resistance and reduce toxicity. EPOCH can be used as standard salvage regimen. Further clinical study is warranted.