Completed

Dose-Adjusted EPOCH Chemotherapy and Rituximab (CD20+) in Adults and Children With Previously Untreated Patients With Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

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What is being tested

Etoposide

+ Rituximab

+ Prednisone

DrugBiologicalDiagnostic TestProcedureOther
Who is being recruted

DNA Virus Infections+17

+ Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases

+ Herpesviridae Infections

Over 12 Years
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Phase 2
Interventional
Study Start: May 1993
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
Last updated: June 22, 2025
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: May 8, 1993

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

Background: The treatment of the intermediate and aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in adults and children commonly induces complete responses in a sizable fraction of the treated population, and about 2/3 of the complete responders appear to have prolonged disease-free survival. The present study assesses the activity and tolerability in previously untreated patients of a regimen of etoposide phosphate, prednisone, vincristine sulfate (Oncovin), cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin hydrochloride (hydroxydaunorubicin)(EPOCH) infusional chemotherapy given intensively with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support. Objectives: Primary: Assess complete response (CR) and progression-free survival (PFS) of dose-adjusted EPOCH-Rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R) with G-CSF in aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Eligibility: Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in the following categories: mediastinal gray zone lymphoma (MGZL) and primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma (PMBL). Patients greater than or equal to 12 years old. Any Stage for PMBL and MGZL. No prior systemic chemotherapy. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative. Design: This study will estimate the complete response rate of a group of previously untreated patients and the extent to which EPOCH infusional drug delivery accompanied by a hematopoietic growth factor can increase the dose intensity of treatment. Patients receive prednisone orally for 5 days, a 96-hour infusion of vincristine, doxorubicin, and etoposide, and a bolus of cyclophosphamide on day 5. Cycles are repeated every 21 days for a total of 6-8 cycles. Patients with cluster of differentiation 20 (CD20) expressing tumors (i.e., mature B-cell lymphomas) will also receive rituximab, the humanized monoclonal antibody against the CD20 receptor on day 1 of each cycle. A total of 348 patients will be enrolled on this protocol.

Principal SponsorNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
Last updated: June 22, 2025
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details

348 patients to be enrolled

Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.

Treatment Study

These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.



Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria

Any sex

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

Over 12 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Conditions

Pathology

DNA Virus InfectionsHemic and Lymphatic DiseasesHerpesviridae InfectionsImmune System DiseasesImmunoproliferative DisordersInfectionsLymphatic DiseasesLymphomaLymphoma, Non-HodgkinLymphoproliferative DisordersNeoplasmsNeoplasms by Histologic TypeTumor Virus InfectionsVirus DiseasesLymphoma, B-CellLymphoma, T-CellEpstein-Barr Virus InfectionsBurkitt LymphomaLymphoma, Large B-Cell, DiffuseLymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic

Criteria

INCLUSION CRITERIA: Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in the following categories: mediastinal gray zone lymphoma and primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma. Diagnosis confirmed by staff of the Hematopathology Section, Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute (NCI). Tissue blocks from patients treated in extramural sites must be forwarded to the NCI for analysis of B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (bcl-2) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and other markers within 1 month of study entry. Patients greater than or equal to 12 years old. Stage and Prognosis of Patients: Any stage for mediastinal gray zone lymphoma (MGZL) and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL). No prior systemic chemotherapy. Patients may be entered if they have had prior limited-field radiotherapy, a short course of glucocorticoids and/or cyclophosphamide for an urgent problem at diagnosis (e.g. epidural cord compression, superior vena cava syndrome). Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative. Not pregnant or nursing. Adequate major organ function [in adults: serum creatinine less than or equal to 1.5 mg/dl or creatinine clearance greater than 60 ml/min; and in children serum creatinine (CR) less than or equal to age-adjusted normal (age 12 to 15 maximum serum creatinine 1.2 mg/dl and age greater than 15 maximum serum creatinine 1.5 mg/dl); bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dl; absolute neutrophil count (ANC) greater than 1,000 and platelets greater than 100,000) unless impairment is due to organ involvement by lymphoma or immune-mediated mechanism caused by lymphoma. No active symptomatic ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction or congestive heart failure within the past year. If multi-gated acquisition (MUGA) is obtained, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) should exceed 40%. No other serious concomitant medical illnesses or uncontrolled active infection that would jeopardize the patient's ability to receive the regimen with reasonable safety. No history of unrelated (non-lymphomatous) neoplasms within past 5 years other than non-melanoma skin cancer or in-situ cancer. Ability to give informed consent.

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives

2 intervention groups are designated in this study

This study does not include a placebo group 

Treatment Groups

Group I

Experimental
Subgroup 1 (SG1) - All participants who received combination Rituximab (EPOCH-R). Rituximab 375 mg/m^2 intravenous (IV) on day 1, every 21 days, prednisone 100mg by mouth (PO) twice a day (bid) on days 1 through 5 every 21 days, and cyclophosphamide 750mg/m^2 on day 5 every 21 days. Doxorubicin 10mg/m^2/day, vincristine 0.4mg/m^2/day, and etoposide 50mg/m^2/day were delivered as continuous intravenous (CIV) infusions over 96 hours starting on day 1 every 21 days. Dose levels were adjusted on doxorubicin, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide each cycle based on neutrophil nadir.

Group II

Experimental
Subgroup 2 (SG2) - EPOCH alone: All participants who received Prednisone 100mg by mouth (PO) twice a day (bid) on days 1 through 5 every 21 days, and cyclophosphamide 750mg/m^2 on day 5 every 21 days. Doxorubicin 10mg/m^2/day, vincristine 0.4mg/m^2/day, and etoposide 50mg/m^2/day were delivered as continuous intravenous (CIV) infusions over 96 hours starting on day 1 every 21 days. Dose levels were adjusted on doxorubicin, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide each cycle based on neutrophil nadir.

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

Secondary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 5 locations

Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale, United StatesOpen Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale in Google Maps

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Baltimore, United States

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Bethesda, United States

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, United States
Completed5 Study Centers