MESNA IFOSFAMIDE, MITOXANTRONE, ETOPOSIDE, BLEOMYCIN, VINCRISTINE, PREDNISONE (MINE-BOP) COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF REFRACTORY AND RELAPSED NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

Twenty-one consecutive patients with refractory or relapsed non-Hodgki n's lymphomas were treated with a novel combination chemotherapy (MINE -BOP), comprising myelosuppressive (ifosfamide, mitoxantrone, etoposid e) and non-myelosupressive (bleomycin, vincristine and prednisone) dru gs, Median age of the patients was 42 years and all had intermediate o r high-grade lymphoma, Fifteen patients had refractory disease, All pa tients had previously been treated with one or two regimens, containin g anthracyclines. In all cases the duration between the last chemother apy and the MINE-BOP regimen was shorter than 12 months, Response rate was 57% with 33% complete remission (CR), Median disease-free and ove rall survivals were 7 and 10 months respectively, The serum LDH level was the only significant prognostic factor in this study, The toxicity of this regimen was moderate with 24% of febrile neutropenia and 9% o f microscopic hematuria, Toxic death due to febrile neutropenia was ob served in one patient who had bone marrow involvement, To conclude, th e addition of non-myelosuppressive drugs to the chemotherapy regimen a nd shortening the interval between the application of cytotoxic drugs as used in the present study did not show any improvement of response and survival in this group of patients.