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Annals of Oncology Advance Access published online on November 3, 2009
Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdp508
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Gemcitabine as single agent in pretreated T-cell lymphoma patients: evaluation of the long-term outcome

P. L. Zinzani*, F. Venturini, V. Stefoni, M. Fina, C. Pellegrini, E. Derenzini, L. Gandolfi, A. Broccoli, L. Argnani, F. Quirini, S. Pileri and M. Baccarani

Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology ‘L. e A. Seràgnoli’, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

* Correspondence to: Dr P. L. Zinzani, Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology L. e A. Seràgnoli’, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. Tel: +39-0516363680; Fax: +39-0516364037; E-mail: pierluigi.zinzani{at}unibo.it

Background: Peripheral T-cell lymphoma unspecified (PTCLU) and mycosis fungoides (MF) often show resistance to conventional chemotherapy. Gemcitabine should be considered a suitable option. We report the long-term update of 39 pretreated T-cell lymphoma patients treated with gemcitabine.

Patients and methods: From May 1997 to September 2007, 39 pretreated MF and PTCLU patients received gemcitabine. Inclusion criteria were as follows: histologic diagnosis of MF or PTCLU; relapsed/refractory disease; age ≥18 years; and World Health Organization performance status of two or less. Nineteen patients had MF and 20 PTCLU. All patients with MF had a T3–T4, N0, and M0 disease and patients with PTCLU had stage III–IV disease. Gemcitabine was given on days 1, 8, and 15 on a 28-day schedule (1200 mg/m2/day) for a total of three to six cycles.

Results: Overall response rate was 51% (20 of 39 patients); complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) rates were 23% (9 of 39 patients) and 28% (11 of 39 patients), respectively. Patients with MF had a CR rate of 16% and a PR rate of 32% compared with a CR rate of 30% and a PR rate of 25% of PTCLU patients. Among the CR patients, 7 of 9 are in continuous complete response with a variable disease-free interval (15–120 months).

Conclusion: In our experience, gemcitabine proved to be effective in pretreated MF and PTCLU patients, even in the long term.

chemotherapy, gemcitabine, mycosis fungoides, peripheral T-cell lymphomas, radiotherapy

Received for publication July 9, 2009. Revision received September 25, 2009. Accepted for publication September 30, 2009.


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