Abstract
We describe treatment of a patient with advanced extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, with multiple subcutaneous lesions and hemophagocytic syndrome. Considering the projected poor outcome of conventional treatments, we designed an L-asparaginase-based induction therapy. L-asparaginase (4000 units/day, day 1 to day 7) combined with vincristine (1 mg, day 1) and prednisolone (100 mg/day, day 1 to day 5) was administered by intravenous infusion every 3 weeks. Within a week after treatment was started, excellent response was observed. Because of an allergic reaction to L-asparaginase, 6 courses of CHOP (adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisolone) therapy were administered as consolidation after 4 courses of L-asparaginase. The lymphoma was controlled with complete remission lasting longer than 2 years without additional treatment. These results and related reports may contribute to greater therapeutic efficacy against at least some cases of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma and other related diseases. Further evaluations based on clinical study are expected to clarify these results.Int J Hematol. 2003;78:248-250.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Jaffe ES, Chan JK, Su IJ, et al. Report of the Workshop on Nasal and Related Extranodal Angiocentric T/Natural Killer Cell Lymphomas: definitions, differential diagnosis, and epidemiology.Am J Surg Pathol. 1996;20:103–111.
Nakamura S, Katoh E, Koshikawa T, et al. Clinicopathologic study of nasal T/NK-cell lymphoma among the Japanese.Pathol Int. 1997;47:38–53.
Takahashi N, Miura I, Chubachi A, Miura AB, Nakamura S. A clinicopathological study of 20 patients with T/natural killer (NK)-cell lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome with special reference to nasal and nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma.Int J Hematol. 2001;74:303–308.
Chan JK, Sin VC, Wong KF, et al. Nonnasal lymphoma expressing the natural killer cell marker CD56: a clinicopathologic study of 49 cases of an uncommon aggressive neoplasm.Blood. 1997;89:4501–4513.
Oettegen HF, Old ID, Boyes EA, et al. Inhibition of leukemia in man by L-asparaginase.Cancer Res. 1967;27:2619–2626.
Clarkson B, Krakoff I, Burchenal J, et al. Clinical results of treatment with E coli L-asparaginase in adults with leukemia, lymphoma, and solid tumors.Cancer. 1970;25:279–305.
Muss HB, Spell N, Scudiery D, et al. A phase II trial of PEG-L- asparaginase in the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.Invest New Drugs. 1990;8:125–130.
Obama K, Tara M, Niina K. L-asparaginase induced complete remission in Epstein-Barr virus positive, multidrug resistant, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.Int J Hematol. 1999;69:260–262.
Nagafuji K, Fujisaki T, Arima F, Ohshima K. L-Asparaginase-induced durable remission of relapsed nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.Int J Hematol. 2001;74:447–450.
Murase T, Suzuki M, Toyama K. Complete remission obtained by sequential chemotherapy of L-asparaginase and continuous infusion of bleomycin (ABLE protocol) in a case of refractory diffuse large cell lymphoma of paranasal origin.Rinsho Ketsueki. 1986;27:252–256.
Hutson RG, Kitoh T, Moraga Amander DA, Cosic S, Schuster SM, Kilberg MS. Amino acid control of asparagines synthetase: relation to asparaginase resistance in human leukemia cells.Am J Physiol. 1997;272:C1691-C1699.
Scherf U, Ross DT, Waltham M, et al. A gene expression database for the molecular pharmacology of cancer.Nat Genet. 2000;24:236–244.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Obama, K., Tara, M. & Niina, K. L-Asparaginase-Based Induction Therapy for Advanced Extranodal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma. Int J Hematol 78, 248–250 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02983802
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02983802