Eighty patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease were randomized either to treatment with combination of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and prednisone (ABVP), alternating with lomustine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (LOPP)--Group A, or to combination of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone, and low dose of bleomycin (COPP-Bleo)--Group B. Thirty-nine out of 41 patients (95%) in Group A achieved complete remission (CR) as compared to 25 CR in 39 patients (64%) in Group B. Patients with systemic symptoms, bulky disease, and nodular sclerosis achieved significantly more CR after treatment with ABVP/LOPP regimen than with COPP-Bleo regimen. Ninety percent of patients are alive in Group A (median observation time 97+ months) as compared to 58% in Group B (median observation time 97+ months). Ninety-two percent of complete responders are in CR in Group A as compared to 53% of complete responders in Group B. These differences between both groups are significant. More serious (WHO grade III and IV) myelosuppression as well as stomatitis and alopecia were observed in Group A. Gastrointestinal toxicity and neurotoxicity was more frequent in Group A. No patient died due to toxicity in Group A as compared to one patient in Group B. Non-cross-resistant alternating regimen ABVP/LOPP was more effective in the treatment of advanced Hodgkin's disease than the COPP-Bleo regimen, especially for patients with advanced Stage IVB Hodgkin's disease.

National Cancer Institute Bratislava Czechoslovakia