Purpose: The aim of this phase II trial was to assess the efficacy of fludarabine monophosphate in untreated and pretreated mantle-cell lymphomas (MCL).
Patients and methods: Fifteen patients with MCL were included in the study. In two cases, fludarabine was the first-line therapy, the second in four cases, the third in five cases, and the fourth in four cases. The diagnosis of MCL was based on the criteria of the European Lymphoma Task Force (ELTF), with morphologic, immunologic, and cytogenetic data. Patients were treated with intravenous fludarabine 25 mg/m2/d for 5 days every 4 weeks.
Results: Toxicity of fludarabine was mild: World Health Organization (WHO) grade 3 and 4 granulocytopenia occurred in 15 of 56 assessable cycles (cy) (27%), there was no grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia, one grade 3 bacterial lung infection, and no treatment-related death. There were five partial responses (33%) but no complete response. The duration of these responses was short and ranged from 4 to 8 months.
Conclusion: These results suggest that fludarabine can be moderately effective in the treatment of MCL. Fludarabine appears to be far less effective than in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Therefore, fludarabine should be evaluated in association with other chemotherapeutic agents in MCL.