808 ABVD or EBVD as first line chemotherapy in Hodgkin's disease (HD)

Abstract

Forty consecutive patients with HD were treated with ABVD or EBVD (doxorubicin 25 mg/m2 or 4-epi-doxorubicin 37.5 mg/m2, bleomycin 10 mg/m2, vinblastine 6 mg/m2 and dacarbazine 375 mg/m2 day 1 and 14 every 28 days). Patients (pts) obtaining a complete remission (CR) after 4 cycles received up to 8 cycles, and pts obtaining a partial remission (PR) received up to 10 cycles. Two pts did not respond after 4 cycles and received a second line regimen. Twenty-two pts were male and 18 female. Median age was 36 years (13_77). 56% had nodular sclerosis, 19% mixed cellularity, 14% lymphocyte depletion and 11% lymphocyte predominance. Staging showed IE-A to III-A: 20 pts, III-B to IV-A, B: 20 pts. 12 received ABVD or EBVD after radiotherapy (RT) failure. With 4 cycles of CT 75% of pts achieved a CR (67% ABVD, 82% EBVD), this rate was increased to 95% (89% ABVD, 100% EBVD) after 8 or 10 cycles. With a median follow-up of 81 m (21_141) the freedom for progression (FFP) survival at 12 years is 86%. ABVD (or EBVD) is as or perhaps more effective and less toxic than MOPP as first line therapy in HD. In our series previous RT did not influence the results.