A Randomized Study of EPOCH II Versus EPOCH II and Immunotherapy in Lymphomas

Summary

This is a randomized study of combination chemotherapy (EPOCH II) versus EPOCH II and immunotherapy with peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) and IL-2 in patients with relapsed Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and untreated patients with low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The chemotherapy entails the administration of multiple cycles of infusional doxorubicin, etoposide and vincristine chemotherapy (total of 3), alternating with cycles of high-dose cyclophosphamide (3 cycles). Patients will be randomized, on a 2:1 basis, to either receive only chemotherapy or to undergo a PBSC harvest with PBSC reinfusion and IL-2 following the last cycle of chemotherapy. In all patients, immunological monitoring for NK/LAK activity, T cell number and function will be performed. The therapy is specifically targeted for patients who would be candidates for high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support.

Timeline

Start

1995-02

Primary completion

—

Completion

2002-01

Publications

• Background Wilson WH, Bryant G, Bates S, Fojo A, Wittes RE, Steinberg SM, Kohler DR, Jaffe ES, Herdt J, Cheson BD, et al. EPOCH chemotherapy: toxicity and efficacy in relapsed and refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 1993 Aug;11(8):1573-82. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1993.11.8.1573.
• Background Vose JM, Anderson JR, Kessinger A, Bierman PJ, Coccia P, Reed EC, Gordon B, Armitage JO. High-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 1993 Oct;11(10):1846-51. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1993.11.10.1846.
• Background Mackall CL, Granger L, Sheard MA, Cepeda R, Gress RE. T-cell regeneration after bone marrow transplantation: differential CD45 isoform expression on thymic-derived versus thymic-independent progeny. Blood. 1993 Oct 15;82(8):2585-94.

Drugs

Indications