We have studied the feasibility and efficacy of intensified R-MegaCHOP-ESHAP-BEAM therapy in high-risk aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Altogether 105 patients (19-64 years) with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) or follicular lymphoma grade 3 (FL3) with an age-adjusted International Prognostic Index of 2-3 were recruited. Treatment consisted of three cycles of high-dose R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone), followed by three cycles of R-ESHAP (rituximab, etoposide, methylprednisolone, cytarabine, cisplatin) and high-dose consolidation with BEAM (BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan) and autologous stem cell transplant. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 72% (DLBCL 60%, PMBL 89%) and overall survival (OS) was 74% (DLBCL 61%, PMBL 89%) after a median follow-up of 85 months. However, an independent prognostic factor was age only, with patients ≤ 45 years having 5-year PFS 90% and patients > 45 years having PFS 54%. PMBL had better prognosis than DLBCL/FL3 in patients > 45 years (PFS, 88% vs. 48%), but not in younger patients (PFS, 91% vs. 94%).
Keywords: B cells; Lymphomas; chemotherapy; immunotherapy; transplant.