FULL DOSE CHOP CHEMOTHERAPY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

Twenty-eight previously untreated elderly patients (median age 73 year s, range 65-88) with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated wi th full-dose CHOP chemotherapy between 1989 and 1992. The median of th e average relative dose intensity (ARDI) was calculated for the initia l cycles needed to achieve a maximal response or to determine progress ion of disease (1-6 cycles, median 4), as well as for the whole treatm ent course, For patients aged 65-74, both ARDIs were 0.89. A comparabl e group of 36 elderly patients who received reduced doses of CHOP from the start, served as a historical control. These was an increase of 1 1% and 29% in the ARDIs of the full-dose CHOP as compared with the red uced CHOP, in the initial cycles and for the whole treatment course re spectively. Grade III-IV leukopenia was the main toxicity observed in 57% of the patients, and 7 patients were hospitalized for fever and le ukopenia. There was no treatment-related death, It is concluded that C HOP chemotherapy without initial dose reduction is feasible in patient s aged 65-74 years, resulting in high actual dose intensity with a rea sonable degree of toxicity.