Abstract
Seven patients from the Nara Medical University Hospital with malignant lymphomas of the head and neck were given oral etoposide at a low dose of 25mg every other day, or at 25mg every day for 2 weeks with a 2-week non-intervention interval, for over one year. Two of the 7 patients received prophylactic etoposide against recurrences, and the other five patients received it as part of a maintenance chemotherapy program. The two patients with recurrences were still alive at 49 and 36 months, respectively; one of these patients had a recurrence in the abdominal lymph nodes. None of the five patients on the maintenance therapy showed any signs of recurrence. In the maintenance group, the median duration of remission after the administration of etoposide was 38 months, and ranged from 22 to 54 months. None of the patients had leukopenia less than 2000 cells/mm2 or any other severe side effects.The long-term oral administration of low-dose etoposide was considered to be safe and useful for the treatment of recurrent tumor lesions and for maintenance chemotherapy.
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