IS THE CHOP REGIMEN A GOOD TREATMENT FOR ADVANCED CLL - RESULTS FROM 2 RANDOMIZED CLINICAL-TRIALS

Between 1985 and 1990, the French Cooperative Group on Chronic Lymphoc ytic Leukemia (CLL) randomized 287 stage B patients between intermitte nt chlorambucil plus prednisone (n=140) or CHOP (n=147), and 90 stage C patients between CHOP (n=44) or CHOP plus methotrexate (n=46). In st age B, although treatment response was improved with CHOP (p=0.007, ch i-square test), no difference in survival was observed between the two randomized groups (p=0.33, score test). In stage C, no differences in treatment response and survival were shown, with median survival clos e to that reported with CHOP in the previous CLL-80 trial. These resul ts associated with those from other groups raise the question whether the CHOP regimen, which has been consistently shown to improve respons e to therapy, is an effective treatment in advanced CLL patients.