Seventy-two patients with Hodgkin's disease, reticulum cell sarcoma, lymphosarcoma, and various other malignant neoplasms were treated with the methylhydrazine derivative procarbazine hydrochloride (Matulane,@ NSC-77213). Response to therapy could be evaluated in 50 patients. Favorable responses occurred in 22 of 33 evaluable patients with Hodgkin's disease, 2 of 5 patients with reticulum cell sarcoma, and 2 of 5 patients with lymphosarcoma. All of the responders had previously shown resistance to at least 2 other antitumor agents. Toxic effects of therapy included leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, nausea, vomiting, stomatitis, lethargy, ataxia, and alopecia. Median time to start of response was 21 days; median cumulative dose to start of response was 51.3 mg/kg. Responses lasted a median of 98 days (range: 34-322 days). Procarbazine is a useful agent in advanced lymphomas. ROCARBAZINE
Matulanea) causes a variety of biologic effects. Decreased mitotic activity and chromatid breaks occur in viv0.19 Carcinogenic, teratogenic, and immunosuppressive effects have been described. 4 8 1 1 T h e compound inhibits a variety of transplantable rodent tumors and is effective both orally and parenterally.2 It Presented, in part, at the annual meeting of thc .