A pilot study of CODOX-M/IVAC in primary refractory or relapsed high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A Scotland and Newcastle Lymphoma Group Study.

Background And Objectives: The prognosis in patients with primary refractory or relapsed high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is very poor--the 5-year survival being generally reported at 10%.

Design And Methods: Multiple salvage regimens have been investigated and, while response rates of 50-80% have been noted in selected patients, the long-term prognosis remains poor. Following the encouraging results in high risk Burkitt's and Burkitt-like lymphoma using the CODOX-M and IVAC protocols, we performed a pilot study using a similar regimen in patients with primary refractory or relapsed high grade NHL.