BACKGROUND: THP-adriamycin ia a tetrahydropyranyl derivative of adriamycin with compatible anti-lymphoma effect but fewer slue effects, especially cardiac, nausea/vomiting and alopecia. So we performed a multicenter study of 4-drug combination chemotherapy, THP-COP regimen for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to evaluate the response rate, survival time and toxicity by Malignant Lymphoma Study Group in Korea.
METHODS: Between June 1996 and Feb. 1997, previously untreated stage II/III/IV intermediate-and high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients were treated with a THP-COP regimen including THP-adriamycin 40 ㎎/㎡ on day 1, cyclophosphamide 750 ㎎/㎡ on day 1, oncovin 1.4 ㎎/㎡ on day 1, and prednisolone 100 ㎎ PO on day 1-5 with 3 weeks interval.
RESULTS: Twenty slut patients (89.7%) were evaluable. Patient characteritics include: median age 54.8 years (16-76) and 13 patients were 60 years or old; clinical stage II in 9 patients(34.6%), stage III in 7 patients (26.9%), and stage IV in 10 patients (38.5%). Objective response were 13 CR, 7 PR, 6 PD with 76.9% response rate. Six months and 1 year survival rates and progression-free survival rates were 87.8%. 70.4%, and 85.0%. 60.5% respectively. Grade 3/4 toxicities were anemia in 7.7%, neutropenia in 53.8%, thrombocytopenia un 3.8%, vomiting in 7.7%, alopecia in 7.7% and Increased SGOT in 3.8%. Prognostic significance of age and international prognostic index were not demonstrated.
CONCLUSION: THP-COP combination chemotherapy is active in advanced stage, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with low incidence of vomiting and alopecia.

Keywords: Chemotherapy, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma