A preliminary experience with the HyperCHiDAM Verona intensive chemotherapy regimen in heavily pretreated refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma

High cure rates are achieved by chemotherapy in Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, but about 20-25% of them prove refractory to treatment or relapse. Autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplants may offer these patients a chance of cure, mostly in the case of those who undergo transplantation and are already in complete remission (CR).In an attempt to improve the CR rate, we employed the HyperCHiDAM Verona intensive chemotherapy regimen in six young Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients with advanced refractory or relapsed disease after multiple lines of treatment. CR was achieved in 3/6 patients, all three of whom are still alive in continuous CR after follow-up periods of 24, 48 and 94 months, respectively. In this very difficult setting where patients are very unlikely to obtain remission with conventional strategies, HyperCHiDAM Verona could be considered a viable option for achieving CR and prolonging survival. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.