MACOP-B for advanced stage large cell lymphoma (DLCL). More is better? Italian Multiregional Cooperative Study Group (IMCSGL).

A study of the predictive value for CR, DFS and OS of the presenting features was carried out on 180 patients with advanced stage DLCL treated with MACOP-B between June 1986 and March 1989. A multivariate regression analysis identified LDH level, bone marrow involvement and tumor burden as independent risk factors with a 4 year survival rate of 79%, 58% and 28% respectively. Therefore MACOP-B proved to be an adequate treatment for the first two groups of patients but not for the third which requires a more aggressive treatment. A sequential single drug high dose chemotherapy with collection of peripheral blood stem cell program followed by bone marrow harvesting, super-intensive radio-chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant has been activated. Seven patients have been so far enrolled: preliminary results demonstrated the feasibility of the program. A larger number of cases and a longer follow-up is required for assessing the efficacy of this approach.