EFFECTIVENESS OF MODERATE DOSE COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY IN BURKITTS-LYMPHOMA

Twenty-five evaluable pediatric patients with histologically proven Bu rkitt's lymphoma were treated with moderate dose combination chemother apy consisting of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate and cyto sine arabinoside (COMA regime) without central nervous system prophyla xis. Complete remission was achieved in 94.1% (16/17) of patients with Stage I, I R, II and III A disease, with disease-free survival of mor e than 3 years. This protocol was attended by minimal chemotherapeutic toxicity. This combination chemotherapy was ineffective in more advan ced disease (Stages III B, IV), major cause of failure being progressi ve disease with central nervous system involvement. This study showed the effectiveness of moderate dose chemotherapy without CNS prophylaxi s in early stage Burkitt's lymphoma including Stage III A and needs fo r aggressive chemotherapy with CNS prophylaxis in more advanced diseas e.