• Min Kyoung Kim, Shin Kim, Sung Sook Lee, Sun Jin Sym, Dae Ho Lee, Sang We Kim, Seongsoo Jang, Chan Jeong Park, Hyun Sook Chi, Jooryung Huh, and Cheolwon Suh.
• Department of Internal Medicine, Diagnostic Laboratory Medicine, and Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1 Pungnap-2-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-796, Korea.
• Transfusion. 2007 Aug 1; 47 (8): 1447-54.

BackgroundIt has previously been shown that ESHAP was an effective mobilization regimen for patients with pretreated lymphoma. To extend these observations, the efficacy and feasibility of rituximab plus ESHAP regimen in CD20+ B-cell NHL were assessed.Study Design And MethodsThe mobilization efficacy and engraftment characteristics were compared in the 22 patients who received the rituximab plus ESHAP (R-ESHAP) with 33 historical controls who received ESHAP.ResultsThe two treatment groups were well matched in patient characteristics. In the R-ESHAP group, 62 pheresis procedures were performed. Apheresis procedures were started on median Day 16 (range, Days 13-18). The median number of collected CD34+ cells was 10.6 x 10(6) per kg (range, 4.9 x 10(6)-52.6 x 10(6)/kg). Nineteen (95%) patients achieved optimal peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cell (PBPC) collection, defined as at least 5 x 10(6) CD34+ cells per kg. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to mobilization efficacy. Sixteen patients in the R-ESHAP group (73%) underwent autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation (APBPCT). The median time to absolute neutrophil count at least 0.5 x 10(9) per L was 10 days (range, 8-17 days), and the median time to a platelet count of at least 20 x 10(9) per L was 12 days (range, 7-27 days). Lymphocyte recovery was slower in the R-ESHAP group, but the rate of infectious complications was similar in the two groups. In the R-ESHAP group, the 2-year overall survival and progression-free survival after APBPCT were 63.2 and 57.4 percent, respectively.ConclusionAddition of rituximab to ESHAP chemotherapy did not have any adverse effects on PBPC mobilization. Further studies are needed, however, to determine whether addition of rituximab improves outcomes.

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