COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH RELAPSED MALIGNANT-LYMPHOMA USING METHYL-GAG AND TENIPOSIDE (VM-26)

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 66  (5) , 1121-1125
Abstract
Patients (45) with advanced malignant lymphoma were treated using a combination of methyl-GAG [methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone)] and teniposide (VM-26). All patients had received extensive prior treatment with combination chemotherapy with or without irradiation. Both methyl-GAG (600 mg/m2) and VM-26 (100 mg/m2) were administered on days 1 and 8 of the treatment protocol and, in responding patients, every 2 wk thereafter. Partial responses occurred in 6 of 12 patients with Hodgkin''s disease and in 10 of 31 patients with non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma. The median duration of response for all patients with 3.5 mo. (range, 1.5-11 mo.). There were moderate toxic effects including nausea, myalgia, weakness and myelosuppression. Relative to recent experience with methyl-GAG as a single agent, the addition of VM-26 to methyl-GAG did not produce a superior rate or duration of response in similar, heavily pretreated patient populations with malignant lymphoma; the combination caused considerably more myelotoxicity. The use of VM-26 with methyl-GAG in this dose schedule apparently offers no advantage over single-agent therapy. Methyl-GAG, when administered on a biweekly schedule, is effective and well-tolerated. This agent should be considered for incorporation into chemotherapy protocols for the therapy of previously untreated patients with malignant lymphoma.