Chemotherapie der fortgeschrittenen Lymphogranulomatose: Ergebnisse der MOPP/COPP-Behandlung am Westdeutschen Tumorzentrum Essen

: Between 1968 and 1979, a total of 271 patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease received as first systemic chemotherapy MOPP (mechlorethamine [nitrogen mustard], oncovin [vincristine], procarbazine and prednisone) or COPP (as above, but cyclophosphamide instead of nitrogen mustard). In 162 of the 271 patients (60%) full remission was achieved. Demonstration of systemic signs, bioptically confirmed bone-marrow infiltration and suboptimal cytostatic dosage correlated significantly with a lower full-remission rate. A significant trend towards a lower remission rate was demonstrated for stage IV disease, in patients with lymphocyte-poor or unclassified Hodgkin's disease and in those older than 30 years. A five-year recurrence-free period was achieved in 75.5% of patients: stage of the disease and bone-marrow infiltration had a clear influence on recurrence-free survival rate. The results show that 50% of patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease can be cured by chemotherapy.