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Results of a phase II study of vorinostat in combination with intravenous fludarabine, mitoxantrone, and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma: an interim analysis

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Abstract

Purpose

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a disease that frequently relapses and primarily affects elderly people. We performed an open-label, multi-center, phase II study to investigate the effect and quality of life (QoL) of treatment with vorinostat in combination with fludarabine, mitoxantrone and dexamethasone (V-FND) for relapsed or refractory MCL.

Methods

The treatment schedule was composed of four cycles of induction treatment with V-FND and subsequent consolidation therapy involving autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or six cycles of vorinostat maintenance. QoL was assessed using EORTC Core Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) every 2 cycles.

Results

Data from a total of 20 patients were collected for an interim analysis. The median age was 67 years (range 49–75), and 14 or the patients (70 %) were male. The full course of V-FND induction treatment was completed in 11 patients, but only three completed all six cycles of maintenance therapy. Response to V-FND was not available in two patients. Among the other 18 patients, the objective response rate was 77.8 % (complete response in five patients + partial response in nine patients). Median progression-free survival was 9.3 months [95 % confidence interval (CI) 4.0–12.3]. Fifteen patients (75 %) experienced grade 3/4 toxicities. Analysis of QoL demonstrated significant deterioration of social functioning (p = 0.01), and significant aggravation of fatigue and nausea/vomiting (p = 0.04 and 0.01, respectively) after two cycles of V-FND induction.

Conclusions

V-FND is effective in patients with relapsed or refractory MCL. However, significant toxicities were hurdles to sustained V-FND therapy.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the patients and their families who took part in this study, the coordinators and the investigators. This work is supported in part by a research grant from investigator-initiated studies program of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.

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Correspondence to Won Seog Kim.

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Won Seog Kim received a research grant from Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. The other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Shin, DY., Kim, S.J., Yoon, D.H. et al. Results of a phase II study of vorinostat in combination with intravenous fludarabine, mitoxantrone, and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma: an interim analysis. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 77, 865–873 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-016-3005-y

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