EFFECTIVENESS OF METHYL-GAG (METHYLGLYOXAL-BIS[GUANYLHYDRAZONE]) IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED MALIGNANT-LYMPHOMA

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 57  (6) , 1011-1014
Abstract
Fifty-one patients with advanced malignant lymphoma refractory to conventional therapy with methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (methyl-GAG) at doses ranging from 400-800 mg/m. Therapy was started on a weekly schedule and was switched to every other week in responding patients at the onset of toxicity. Partial responses were observed in 6 of 13 evaluable patients with Hodgkin''s disease (46%), 5 of 10 patients with diffuse poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma (50%), 2 of 4 patients with nodular poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma (50%) and 3 of 13 patients with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma (23%). Two of 6 patients with mycosis fungoides showed objective improvement in cutaneous disease. Toxicity was generally mild and included muscular weakness, myalgia, mucositis and diarrhea; 2 patients developed bronchospasm following drug infusions. Methyl-GAG apparently has major antitumor activity when administered on this schedule to patients with advanced malignant lymphoma. The low degree of toxicity, unique mechanism of action and minimal myelosuppressive effects suggest that methyl-GAG will prove useful in future trials of combination chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of lymphoma.