Prolonged complete remission following high dose chemotherapy of Burkitt's lymphoma in relapse.

Fourteen patients with American Burkitt's lymphoma resistant to conventional chemotherapy were treated with high-dose combination chemotherapy and intensive supportive care. Four patients died shortly after chemotherapy, 3 of an acute carditis. All ten remaining patients demonstrated tumor regression and 3 remain in prolonged complete unmaintained remission 29+, 19+, and 9+ months after treatment. These findings demonstrate that high-dose chemotherapy will benefit some patients with Burkitt's lymphoma unresponsive to conventional chemotherapy, but the medullary and extramedullary toxicity of this treatment strategy remains a formidable obstacle.