TY - JOUR AU - Broadhead, R. AB - SummaryPatients with endemic Burkitt's lymphoma who failed primary treatment with the Malawi 2002 or 2003 Burkitt's lymphoma treatment protocols, consisting of high frequency cyclophosphamide 40 mg/kg and intrathecal methotrexate, were offered rescue chemotherapy. Twenty-eight patients (14 boys and 14 girls; age range 3–13 years) with resistant disease (n = 8) or relapse (n = 20) presented to the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi. Treatment consisted of cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg and vincristine 1.5 mg/m2 i.v. on Days 1, 8 and 15, plus intrathecal methotrexate on the same days in those patients treated for a relapse. The majority of patients (81%) had St Jude stage III or IV disease. Twenty patients (71%) achieved a complete clinical remission. Day 8 treatment was delayed in eight children and Day 15 treatment in five patients, both for a median of 7 days, mainly due to neutropenia. Ten patients relapsed after 42–311 days (median 105 days). Ten patients (36%) remained in remission for 353–712 days (median 487 days). Patients whose first relapse occurred after 6 months as well as those with limited disease had the best outcome. This simple 15-day chemotherapy schedule salvaged 36% of patients and significantly increased the overall cure rate of our Burkitt's lymphoma patients. TI - Rescue chemotherapy for patients with resistant or relapsed endemic Burkitt's lymphoma JO - Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene DO - 10.1016/j.trstmh.2008.02.009 DA - 2008-06-01 UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/rescue-chemotherapy-for-patients-with-resistant-or-relapsed-endemic-uKVi0ttvqC SP - 602 EP - 607 VL - 102 IS - 6 DP - DeepDyve ER -