Updated clinical experience with MACOP-B.

This paper summarizes our experience with MACOP-B chemotherapy (methotrexate, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, bleomycin) in 125 patients with advanced stage, diffuse, large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma referred to the Cancer Control Agency of British Columbia between April 1981 and June 1986. Complete response (CR) was achieved in 105 patients (84%), partial response (PR) in 18 patients (14.4%) and primary treatment failure occurred in two patients (1.6%). Fifteen of the PRs and both nonresponders succumbed to their disease. Of the 105 CRs, 23 patients (21%) suffered a relapse; 14 of the relapsers eventually died from their lymphoma, five are in second CR, three are receiving further therapy, and one has histologic evidence of asymptomatic, low-grade lymphoma. Three deaths were unrelated to lymphoma. Overall toxicity was acceptable, with only six treatment-related deaths (4.8%). The incidence of nonfatal systemic proven or suspected infections was 10%. Mucocutaneous side effects remain the most frequent toxicity of the MACOP-B protocol. More than half of the 125 patients received at least a portion of MACOP-B from community oncologists. The results of treatment with MACOP-B remain at least comparable to the best reported in the literature, yet they have been achieved with less toxicity, over shorter periods of time, and with diminished socioeconomic impact on patients. However, improvement on these results is necessary both in terms of efficacy and toxicity. A new variant of MACOP-B is now being tested and our preliminary experience has been encouraging.