Salvage chemotherapy for adults with relapsed or refractory lymphoma in Malawi

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  • Kaimila, Bongani
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC Project-Malawi
  • van der Gronde, Toon
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC Project-Malawi
  • Stanley, Christopher
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC Project-Malawi
  • Kasonkanji, Edwards
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC Project-Malawi
  • Chikasema, Maria
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC Project-Malawi
  • Tewete, Blessings
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC Project-Malawi
  • Fox, Paula
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC Project-Malawi
  • Gopal, Satish
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC Project-Malawi
Abstract
  • Abstract Background Lymphoma is highly associated with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which contributes to worse outcomes relative to resource-rich settings, and frequent failure of first-line chemotherapy. However, there are no second-line treatment descriptions for adults with relapsed or refractory lymphoma (RRL) in SSA. Methods We describe HIV+ and HIV- patients with RRL receiving salvage chemotherapy in Malawi. Patients were prospectively treated at a national teaching hospital in Lilongwe, with the modified EPIC regimen (etoposide, prednisolone, ifosfamide, cisplatin) between June 2013 and May 2016, after failing prior first-line chemotherapy. Results Among 21 patients (18 relapsed, 3 refractory), median age was 40 years (range 16–78), 12 (57%) were male. Thirteen patients (62%) were HIV+, of whom 12 (92%) were on antiretroviral therapy (ART) at initiation of salvage chemotherapy, with median CD4 cell count 139 cells/μL (range 12–529) and 11 (85%) with suppressed HIV RNA. Median number of EPIC cycles was 3 (range 1–6), and the commonest toxicity was grade 3/4 neutropenia in 19 patients (90%). Fifteen patients responded (3 complete, 12 partial, overall response rate 71%), but durations were brief. Median overall survival was 4.5 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.4–5.6]. However, three patients, all HIV+, experienced sustained remissions. Tolerability, response, and survival did not differ by HIV status. Conclusions The appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of this approach in severely resource-limited environments is uncertain, and multifaceted efforts to improve first-line lymphoma treatment should be emphasized, to reduce frequency with which patients require salvage chemotherapy. Trial registration NCT02835911 . Registered 19 January 2016.
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  • Article
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  • In Copyright
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  • The Author(s).
Journal title
  • Infectious Agents and Cancer
Journal volume
  • 12
Journal issue
  • 1
Language
  • English
Bibliographic citation
  • Infectious Agents and Cancer. 2017 Aug 09;12(1):45
Publisher
  • BioMed Central

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