[Combination therapy of vinca alkaloids and nicardipine in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with resistant to various antineoplastic agents].

Three patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who relapsed and were considered to be resistant to standard chemotherapeutic agents including vinca alkaloids were treated with a vinca alkaloid combined with calcium antagonist, nicardipine. All three patients showed some response to this treatment. Two of them were reentered into partial response at a dose of 1.0 mg of vincristine weekly and 40 mg of nicardipine, p.o., tid. From this result, it was suggested that the resistance to vinca alkaloids could be overcome and the cytotoxic effect of vinca alkaloids could be enhanced by nicardipine. The plasma concentration of nicardipine was variable in each patient and lower than initially expected. Overcome of drug resistance and enhancement of chemotherapeutic effect by nicardipine should be tried in the treatment of refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.