Dose-escalated CHOP plus etoposide (MegaCHOEP) followed by repeated stem cell transplantation for primary treatment of aggressive high-risk non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a 4-course high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) protocol including autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) after courses 2, 3, and 4 was investigated in 110 patients, aged 18 to 60 years, with primary diagnosis of aggressive NHL (aNHL), and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) levels above normal. At dose level 1 (DL1), course 1 consisted of cyclophosphamide 1500 mg/m2, doxorubicin (Adriamycin) 70 mg/m2, vincristine 2 mg, etoposide 450 mg/m2, and prednisone 500 mg. With courses 2 and 3 cyclophosphamide and etoposide were escalated to 4500 mg/m2 and 600 mg/m2, respectively. With course 4 cyclophosphamide and etoposide were given at 6000 mg/m2 and 1000 mg/m2, respectively. At DL2 etoposide was further increased to 600, 960, 960, and 1480 mg/m2 with courses 1 to 4, respectively. Therapy as per protocol was completed by 81.8% of patients. Overall survival at 5 years was 67.2%, freedom from treatment failure (FFTF) was 62.1%, and treatment-related mortality was 4.5%. There was a trend to better FFTF at DL2 compared to DL1 (66.9% versus 54.2%). Repetitive HDT with escalated CHOP plus etoposide is feasible and effective treatment of patients with aNHL. DL2 of this therapy is being used in an ongoing phase 3 study.