Thalidomide for patients with recurrent lymphoma

✍ Scribed by Barbara Pro; Anas Younes; Maher Albitar; Nam H. Dang; Felipe Samaniego; Jorge Romaguera; Peter McLaughlin; Fredrick B. Hagemeister; Maria A. Rodriguez; Marilyn Clemons; Fernando Cabanillas

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 71 KB
• Volume: 100
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.20070

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Thalidomide has significant clinical activity in patients with multiple myeloma. However, its activity against other lymphoid tumors is unknown. The authors reported their experience with thalidomide in patients with recurrent/refractory non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and in patients with Hodgkin disease.

METHODS

Nineteen patients (median age, 62 years) who had undergone a median of 5 previous treatment regimens were treated with escalating doses of thalidomide (200–800 mg per day) until disease progression or prohibitive toxicity was observed. The authors measured serum levels of angiogenesis factors before and after treatment.

RESULTS

One patient (5%) with evidence of recurrent gastric mucosa—associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma achieved a complete response, and 3 patients (16%) achieved stable disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study suggests that thalidomide has limited single‐agent activity in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent or refractory lymphoma. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.