BIWEEKLY COP-BLAM (CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE, VINCRISTINE, PREDNISONE, BLEOMYCIN, DOXORUBICIN AND PROCARBAZINE) REGIMEN COMBINED WITH GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (G-CSF) FOR INTERMEDIATE-GRADE NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

We evaluated the efficacy and adverse effects of biweekly COP-BLAM (cy clophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, bleomycin, doxorubicin and pr ocarbazine) therapy combined with granulocyte colony-stimulating facto r (G-CSF) for treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). A complete remiss ion was achieved in 65 (90.3%) of the 72 patients. The median follow-u p period was 28 months, and 64 patients were alive at the time of writ ing. Treatment was delivered as scheduled to 61 patients. G-CSF made i t possible to shorten the interval between courses of chemotherapy. On e of the 72 patients died of granulocytopenia and pneumonia; no other severe infections were noted. Further studies regarding adverse effect s on organs other than the bone marrow are required to improve the lon g-term results of combination therapy on NHL.