SEQUENTIAL INTENSIVE TREATMENT WITH THE F-MACHOP REGIMEN (+ -RADIOTHERAPY) AND AUTOLOGOUS STEM-CELL TRANSPLANTATION FOR PRIMARY SYSTEMIC CD30 (KI-1)-POSITIVE ANAPLASTIC LARGE-CELL LYMPHOMA IN ADULTS/

Most of the adult patients with primary systemic CD30 (Ki-1)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) reported in the literature have been treated with combination chemotherapy (CHT), with only an occasio nal patient being autotransplanted, mostly after relapse. Here we repo rt a series of 19 patients treated at our Institution with a sequentia l intensive therapeutic program including CHT (the F-MACHOP regimen gi ven for 6 cycles), radiotherapy (RT), and autologous stem cell transpl antation (ASCT) after conditioning with the BAVC regimen. Eleven of 19 (58%) patients achieved a complete remission (CR) after CHT; 3 after RT and 4 after ASCT (1 patient is still not evaluable for response to ASCT). The actuarial overall survival is 100% at a median of 49 months from diagnosis and the actuarial disease free survival is 100% at a m edian of 41 months from the time CR was reached. These data suggest th at ALCL can be successfully managed with a sequential intensive treatm ent that prevents early relapses and projects these patients as long-t erm survivors.