IVE (ifosfamide, epirubicin and etoposide) is a more effective stem cell mobilisation regimen than ICE (ifosphamide, carboplatin and etoposide) in the context of salvage therapy for lymphoma.

Two commonly used chemotherapy regimens for lymphoma salvage therapy were compared: ICE (ifosphamide, carboplatin and etoposide) +/- rituximab and IVE (ifosfamide, epirubicin and etoposide) +/- rituximab, for their efficacy in mobilising peripheral blood stem cells for autologous transplantation. Significant differences were observed between the cohorts in terms of number of patients mobilising the stipulated minimum >2 x 10(6) CD34+/kg (99.2% in IVE group versus 83% in ICE group: P = 0.0002) and also in terms of the number of patients achieving the predetermined target of >5 x 10(6) CD34+/kg, both in total and during the first apheresis procedure (72% in IVE versus 51% in ICE group and 49% in IVE versus 7% in ICE group: P = 0.02 and P < 0.0001 respectively). This analysis of two similar groups of patients treated within a single-centre appears to demonstrate that the IVE regimen is a more effective stem cell mobilisation regimen than ICE in the context of salvage therapy for Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, allowing more patients to achieve the target CD34+ cell collection and proceed to high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation.