Combination chemotherapy for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease in relapse. Results with lomustine (CCNU), melphalan (Alkeran), and vindesine (DVA) alone (CAD) and in alternation with MOPP and doxorubicin (Adriamycin), bleomycin, and vinblastine (ABV).

Vindesine (desacetyl vinblastine amide sulfate, DVA) was used in combination with CCNU (lomustine) and melphalan (Alkeran) (CAD) to treat 15 heavily pretreated patients with Hodgkin's disease in relapse. The patients were treated with up to six cycles, depending upon their response. Two patients (13%) achieved a complete remission (CR) and five (33%) patients a partial remission (PR). The major toxicity was prolonged thrombocytopenia, which was decreased by a reduction in the initial drug doses for patients who had received extensive prior chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT). The CAD regimen was then alternated with nitrogen mustard or cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (MOPP, C-MOPP) and doxorubicin (Adriamycin), bleomycin, and vinblastine (ABV) for a total of nine cycles in 25 patients with Hodgkin's disease in relapse with somewhat more favorable prognostic features. Two patients also received low-dose RT to areas of bulky nodal disease. Eleven patients (44%) achieved a CR and seven (28%) a PR. Of the 11 CR patients, six remain in remission. The serious toxicity was comparable to that seen with other combination chemotherapy regimens. These results indicated that the CAD/MOPP/ABVD regimen is as active as other so-called 'salvage' regimens for Hodgkin's disease in relapse, and suggest that it might be useful for newly diagnosed Hodgkin's disease.