CHOP CHEMOTHERAPY OF INTERMEDIATE AND HIGH-GRADE NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

The results of CHOP treatment in 63 patients with intermediate and hig h-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (Working Formulation D to I), Ann Arbor stage I to IV were analyzed. The response rate was 87%, 71% complete remission and 16% partial remission with a mean duration of 22 months. The 5-year actuarial survival was 61% (95% confidence interval, 51-70 %). The treatment was well tolerated and no deaths due to acute toxici ty were observed, Poor prognostic factors in univariate analysis were: high-grade histology, stages III and IV, B symptoms, greater than or equal to 4 affected lymph node regions, Karnofsky index less than or e qual to 70, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) >60 mm, haemoglobin < 100 g/l and elevated lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). Poor prognostic facto rs in multivariate analysis were: high-grade histology, stages III and IV, haemoglobin < 100 g/l and elevated LDH. In summary, good results were obtained with CHOP chemotherapy, without severe toxicity.