Conventional second-line salvage chemotherapy regimens are not warranted in patients with malignant lymphomas who have progressive disease after first-line salvage therapy regimens.

This study aimed to determine the outcome of patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma who have an inadequate response to first-line salvage therapy (1 degrees ST) and who subsequently receive a second-line salvage regimen (2 degrees ST) with the intention of ultimately proceeding to high-dose therapy. The outcome of 57 patients [Hodgkin's Lymphoma 17, histologically-aggressive non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) 26, histologically-indolent NHL 14] who received more than one modality of conventional-dose salvage therapy was analysed. Sixteen patients had a partial response (PR) to 1 degrees ST, but subsequently received 2 degrees ST because the PR was judged to be inadequate (iPR) because of persisting disease bulk or marrow infiltration.