Response rates, long term outcomes and toxicity profile of gemcitabine and vinorelbine based outpatient chemotherapy regimen in primary progressive and relapsed childhood Hodgkin lymphoma

Abstract

This study aimed to determine response rates, overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS) and toxicity profile of an outpatient chemotherapy regimen based on gemcitabine and vinorelbine (GV) for relapsed childhood Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). This was a retrospective study that included 41 patients up to the age of 18 years with relapsed HL. Twelve patients (29%) had primary progressive disease (PPD), 6 (15%) had early relapse (ER) and 23 (56%) had late relapse (LR). The overall initial response rate was 83% (LR: 87%, ER: 83%, PPD: 75%. p-value: .2). Three-year combined OS was 80% (LR: 89%, ER: 80%, PPD: 65%. p-value: .07) and EFS 71% (LR: 86%, ER: 62%, PPD: 47%. p-value: .01). There were no toxic deaths. Febrile neutropenia was observed in four patients (9.6%) and lung toxicity in 1 patient (2.4%). This study suggests that outpatient GV is an effective and low toxicity salvage regimen for relapsed childhood HL.

Keywords:

• Gemcitabine and vinorelbine
• relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma
• outpatient chemotherapy
• low and middle-income countries

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Dr. Najma Shaheen and Dr. Saadia Javed Khan for their assistance.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.