TY - JOUR
T1 - Association between alopecia and response to chemotherapy in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma
AU - Elis, Avishay
AU - Blickstein, Dorit
AU - Manor, Yosef
AU - Lishner, Michael
PY - 2005/6
Y1 - 2005/6
N2 - Alopecia and bone marrow suppression are prominent effects of doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy. The aim of the study was to validate our preliminary clinical observation that the lack of alopecia in Hodgkin lymphoma patients may predict poor response to chemotherapy and low rate of bone marrow suppression. Sixty-six patients with Hodgkin lymphoma were reviewed. They were treated between 1991 and 2001 with at least 4 courses of doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy (MOPP/ABV or ABVD) in 2 university-affiliated hematology departments. Thirty-four patients exhibited complete or near complete alopecia, and 32 retained their hair or had only minimal hair loss. The 2 groups were compared by response to treatment and episodes of bone marrow suppression. Alopecia was associated with a high rate of remission (OR 8.48, 95% CI 2.77-25.95), episodes of neutropenia (OR 3.55, 95% CI 1.28-9.84), leukopenia (OR 1.83, 95% CI 0.68-4.92), delays in scheduled treatments (OR 1.61, 95% CI 0.607-4.30), or number of courses with dose reduction (OR 1.63, 95% CI 0.56-4.74). Significantly more patients with alopecia had at least 1 of these parameters (88% versus 62%, P = 0.015; OR 4.50, 95% CI 1.27-15.94). In conclusion, in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma treated with doxorubicin- containing chemotherapy, the absence of alopecia may predict poor response to treatment along with fewer episodes of bone marrow suppression. The absence of alopecia in such patients should alert clinicians to the possibility of treatment failure.
AB - Alopecia and bone marrow suppression are prominent effects of doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy. The aim of the study was to validate our preliminary clinical observation that the lack of alopecia in Hodgkin lymphoma patients may predict poor response to chemotherapy and low rate of bone marrow suppression. Sixty-six patients with Hodgkin lymphoma were reviewed. They were treated between 1991 and 2001 with at least 4 courses of doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy (MOPP/ABV or ABVD) in 2 university-affiliated hematology departments. Thirty-four patients exhibited complete or near complete alopecia, and 32 retained their hair or had only minimal hair loss. The 2 groups were compared by response to treatment and episodes of bone marrow suppression. Alopecia was associated with a high rate of remission (OR 8.48, 95% CI 2.77-25.95), episodes of neutropenia (OR 3.55, 95% CI 1.28-9.84), leukopenia (OR 1.83, 95% CI 0.68-4.92), delays in scheduled treatments (OR 1.61, 95% CI 0.607-4.30), or number of courses with dose reduction (OR 1.63, 95% CI 0.56-4.74). Significantly more patients with alopecia had at least 1 of these parameters (88% versus 62%, P = 0.015; OR 4.50, 95% CI 1.27-15.94). In conclusion, in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma treated with doxorubicin- containing chemotherapy, the absence of alopecia may predict poor response to treatment along with fewer episodes of bone marrow suppression. The absence of alopecia in such patients should alert clinicians to the possibility of treatment failure.
KW - Alopecia
KW - Bone marrow suppression
KW - Hodgkin lymphoma
KW - Response to doxorubicin
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=20044364756&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/01.ftd.0000158867.66994.91
DO - 10.1097/01.ftd.0000158867.66994.91
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AN - SCOPUS:20044364756
SN - 0163-4356
VL - 27
SP - 287
EP - 289
JO - Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
JF - Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
IS - 3
ER -