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Corticosteroid therapy for lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Author(s) -
Ezdinli Ediz Z.,
Stutzman Leon,
Aungst C. William,
Firat Dincer
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(196904)23:4<900::aid-cncr2820230427>3.0.co;2-4
Subject(s) - medicine , chronic lymphocytic leukemia , reticulum cell sarcoma , lymphoma , leukemia , autopsy , disease , sarcoma , incidence (geometry) , chemotherapy , gastroenterology , immunology , pathology , physics , optics
Corticosteroids were administered to 137 patients with lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia for a total of 188 courses. Although no complete responses were seen, two thirds of the patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphosarcoma and Hodgkin's disease and one third of reticulum‐cell sarcoma patients obtained objective benefit. Good responses were noted in 44% of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 42% of those with lymphosarcoma, 28% with Hodgkin's disease and 18% of reticulum‐cell sarcoma patients. The responses included definite tumor shrinkage in all disease categories. Responsiveness was well maintained during successive treatments. Corticosteroid therapy was particularly useful in the presence of hematologic depression that precluded the use of other chemotherapeutic agents. Brevity of unmaintained remissions (median 3 months) and a significant rise in the incidence of fungal infections found at autopsy were definite disadvantages.