Treatment of malignant lymphomas with methyl ester of streptonigrin (NSC 45384)

Abstract

Forty three patients with lymphomas or chronic lymphocytic leukemia were treated with intravenous methyl ester of streptonigrin. The total dose for a single course ranged from 0.05 to 0.3 mg/kg, the optimum being 0.1 mg/kg. Thirty patients lived for at least 6 weeks and were considered evaluable. Nine objective remissions were seen in Hodgkin's disease, 5 in lymphocytic lymphoma, 2 in mycosis fungoides and 4 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The other 10 patients showed some evidence of favorable drug effect. Immediate toxic reactions were mainly nausea and emesis, though 3 patients had striking but reversible hypotension at the time the drug was administered. Thrombocytopenia occurred in 24 patients and leukopenia in 15 patients. Marrow suppression was generally reversible in 2 to 3 weeks.