Salvage chemotherapy of refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with aclacinomycin, behenoyl ara-C, etoposide, and prednisolone.

A total of 40 patients with recurrent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated with ABEP combination chemotherapy (aclarubicin, N4-behenoyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine, etoposide, and prednisolone). A complete remission (CR) was achieved in 37.5% of the patients and partial remission, in 15.0%. The ABEP regimen proved to be effective in T-cell as well as B-cell lymphoma. It appears that the ABEP regimen may be partially non-cross-resistant with front-line doxorubicin-containing combinations. Survival for 39 months was achieved in 42.0% of the CR responders compared with 6.7% of partial responders (PRs) and nonresponders (NRs) (P less than 0.01). Disease-free survival for 45 months was seen in 66% of the CR patients. The ABEP regimen was effective in the treatment of patients with recurrent or refractory lymphoma, enabling hope for long-term survival in the majority of CR cases.