Lamivudine allows completion of chemotherapy in lymphoma patients with hepatitis B reactivation

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus in patients receiving chemotherapy for no n-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) may give rise to hepatitis, hepatic failure and death, and prevent further chemotherapy. We report four patients with NHL i n whom hepatitis flare-up was observed after two (three patients) and six ( one patient) cycles of chemotherapy. After spontaneous recovery, they were treated with Lamivudine (100 mg/day), which enabled completion of chemother apy without. further hepatitis B reactivation. In one patient, high-dose ch emotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation was also performed. The se data suggest a possible role for Lamivudine in preventing hepatitis B re activation during chemotherapy administration to chronic carriers of the he patitis B virus. Moreover, it enabled the completion of both standard, and high-dose chemotherapy in patients with previous hepatitis B reactivation.