Cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, procarbazine and prednisone with CCNU and vinblastine maintenance for advanced Hodgkin's disease.

Fifty patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease were treated with a combination of cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, procarbazine and prednisone (CVPP) in a 21-day cyclic regimen. Thirty-one patients (62%) achieved a pathologically documented complete remission (CR). Of the 23 previously untreated patients, 13 obtained CR. Twenty-seven patients had been previously treated and 15/19 (79%) of those with prior major radiation therapy and 3/8 (37.5%) of those who had received both irradiation and chemotherapy achieved CR. Sixteen of the patients who attained CR received maintenance therapy with monthly alternating CCNU and vinblastine but as of this report, neither remission duration nor survival is significantly prolonged when compared to the 14 patients followed in remission on no therapy. Patients who received more than six courses of induction therapy (median 9.5, range 8-12) have had significantly fewer relapses and longer remissions than have those patients who received only six courses of therapy. It is concluded that: 1) CVPP is an effective regimen at inducing CR in patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease and has less gastrointestinal and neurologic toxicity than MOPP; 2) maintenance therapy with CCNU and vinblastine to date has not been beneficial; and 3) greater than six courses of induction chemotherapy prolongs remission duration and is associated with fewer disease relapses.