Liposomal daunorubicin (DaunoXome) in combination with cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisolone (COP-X) as salvage therapy in poor-prognosis non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

We treated 33 patients with a variant of the standard 3 weekly CHOP regime, replacing doxorubicin with liposomal daunorubicin (DaunoXome, NeXstar Pharmaceuticals) 120 mg/m2 (COP-X). Eighteen subjects had relapsed / refractory aggressive NHL and 15 had indolent NHL/CLL. Median number of courses received was 4 (1–8). Thirty-two patients were evaluable for efficacy and 26 (81%) responded. 88% of patients with aggressive NHL responded; three (18%) patients achieved complete remission (CR), 12 (70%) achieved partial remission (PR), 1 (6%) patient had stable disease (SD) and 1 (6%) patient progressed through treatment. Median duration of response for patients with aggressive NHL was 3 months. The response rate in indolent NHL/CLL was 73%. Four (27%) patients achieved CR, 7 (46%) PR and 4 (27%) SD. At two years post treatment, 55% of the patients with indolent NHL/CLL remain progression-free, although 4 patients have proceeded to consolidation therapy. Twenty-seven out of 28 (96%) patients developed neutropenia ...