Regimen shows promise for ENKTL

When the researchers compared overall survival with P-Gemox to previous results observed with EPOCH in newly diagnosed ENKTL patients (Huang et al, Leuk & Lymph 2011), they found P-Gemox was superior.

‘Tolerable’ toxicity

Toxicity with P-Gemox was tolerable and manageable, according to Dr Huang. The main adverse events were nausea and myelosuppression. But the rate of grade 3/4 events was low, and there were no treatment-related deaths.

Specifically, the grade 1/2 adverse events included nausea (73.8%), neutropenia (58%), thrombocytopenia (52.4%), hypoprotinemia (52.4%), anemia (52.4%), vomiting (49.2%), prolonged APTT (44.2%), elevated transaminase (34.1%), elevated bilirubin (27.9%), mucositis (24.5%), decreased fibrinogen (23%), elevated BUN (4.9%), intracranial bleeding (1.6%), stomach bleeding (1.6%), pancreatitis (1.6%), and herpes (1.6%).

Grade 3/4 adverse events included neutropenia (19.7%), thrombocytopenia (16.4%), hypoprotinemia (1.6%), anemia (1.6%), vomiting (3.2%), elevated transaminase (1.6%), and decreased fibrinogen (1.6%).

“We found that P-Gemox is an effective, safe, and convenient regimen in Chinese patients with ENKTL, both treatment-naïve and relapsed/refractory,” Dr Huang concluded. “These results provide a basis for subsequent studies.”

Dr Huang and his colleagues also presented the results of this research at the ASH Annual Meeting in December as abstract 642. (Information presented at the T-cell Lymphoma Forum differs from that in the ASH abstract).