Background & objective: Burkitt's lymphoma is an aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and often involves bone marrow and central nerve system. The efficacy of CHOP regimen on Burkitt's lymphoma is poor. The optimal chemotherapy regimen needs to be investigated. This study was to evaluate the efficacy of modified B-NHL-BFM-90 protocol on Burkitt's lymphoma in children and adolescents, and observe the survival status.
Methods: From Oct. 1999 to Nov. 2006, 31 untreated Burkitt's lymphoma patients aged less than 20 were enrolled. The median age of these patients was 5 (range, 1.5-20 years old). Of the 31 patients, 20 (64.5%) were male, 11 (35.5%) were female. According to St Jude staging system, 1 (3.2%) was at stage I, 6 (19.4%) at stage II, 8 (25.8%) at stage III, 16 (51.6%) at stage IV; 24 (77.4%) were at stage III/IV. According to clinical stage, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level and treatment response, these patients were divided into low, moderate and high risk groups. They received modified B-NHL-BFM-90 protocol: cytotoxic drugs such as cyclophosphamide, vincristine, ifosfamide, etoposide, adriamycin, HD-methotrexate, vindesin, dexamethasone, cytarabinec/HD-cytarabine and intrathecal injection.
Results: One patient died of tumor lysis syndrome during prophase. The efficacy was evaluable in 30 patients. Of the 30 patients, 25 (83.3%) achieved complete remission (CR), 3 (10.0%) achieved partial remission (PR), 2 (6.7%) had progressive disease (PD)û 1 had tumor relapse. Grade 3-4 myelosuppression occurred in most patients and were recovered by active support care and did not affect next course of chemotherapy. At a median follow-up of 33 months (range, 3-98 months), the 3-year event-free survival (EFS) rate was 86.0% for all patients, with 100% for stage I/II patients and 82.1% for stage III/IV patients, 100% for low risk group, 92.0% for moderate risk group, and 70.0% for high risk group.
Conclusions: Modified B-NHL-BFM-90 protocol can improve the responses and survival of Burkitt's lymphoma in Chinese children and adolescents, with tolerable toxicity. It should be used in the experienced cancer center and hematological unit.