Infusional cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and etoposide in HIV-related non-hodgkin's lymphoma: A follow-up report of a highly active regimen

Based on our prior data suggesting a therapeutic advantage for infusional administration of cyclophosphamide (C), doxorubicin (D), and etoposide (E) in patients with relapsed and resistant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), we administered C (750 mg/m²), D (50 mg/m²), and E (240 mg/m²) via continuous intravenous infusion over 96 hours as first line therapy for 21 patients with intermediate- or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Treatment was repeated every 28 or more days. The median CD4 count of the study group was 87/ul, and the median serum lactate dehydrogenase was 383 IU/L. Extranodal disease, lymphomatous marrow involvement, and lymphomatous meningitis were present at diagnosis in 90% 33% and 10% of patients, respectively. Complete response (CR) occurred in 13 patients (62% 95% confidence intervals 41% 81% and partial response occurred in five patients (24% The estimated median survival of the study group was 18.0 months. Hematologic toxicity required dose reduction for 47% of cycles and for 79% of patients who received at least two cycles. The mean dose intensity for C., D., and E were 73% 70% and 73% of the intended dose intensity, respectively. Opportunistic infection included oral/esophageal candidiasis (N = 7), herpes labialis (N = 3), pulmonary Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (N = 1), candidemia (N = 1), pneumonitis (N = 1), and disseminated aspergillosis than resulted in a single treatment-related death (5% Treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the CD4+ lymphocytes, as well as total lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, and CD8+ lymphocytes. Our findings suggest that infusional CDE is a highly active regimen capable of producing durable CRs in a substantial proportion of patients with HIV-related NHL and requires further study.