An Assessment of Alternated Versus Syncopated CHOP-PVB

Abstract

In this issue of the journal, Dabich et al. (1) present the results of two sequential studies carried out by the Southwest Oncology Group in which different sequences of antineoplastic drug administration were compared in patients with malignant lymphoma. A so-called syncopated program of CHOP and PVB was compared with a program in which CHOP was alternated with PVB at every treatment interval. No significant differences between the two treatment programs were found, and indeed neither appeared to be superior to historical results achieved with CHOP alone. The authors discuss possible interpretation of these results in the light of the somatic mutation drug resistance model (2-4).