Comparative Study of L-Asparaginase-Based LOP Regimen Over CHOP Regimen Before Radiotherapy for Stage IIE Extranodal Nasal Type NK/T Cell Lymphoma: A Study of 2 Centers

Abstract Background In this study we evaluated the efficacy of an L-asparaginase-based LOP (L-asparaginase, vincristine, and dexamethasone) regimen in extranodal Natural Killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) patients in the Guizhou province of China. Patients and Methods Forty-eight patients were treated with the LOP (L-asparaginase, vincristine and dexamethasone) regimen chemotherapy (CT) and 32 patients with the CHOP (cyclophosphamide, tetrahydropyanyl adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone) regimen. These patients then received involved-field radiotherapy (RT) with the doses of DT = 49-59 Gy. Results A significant improvement of clinical end points with the LOP regimen was noticed compared with the CHOP regimen: 33 (68.8%) versus 16 (50.0%) for complete responses; 10 (20.8%) versus 5 (15.6%) for partial responses. There were statistical differences in objective response rates (43 [89.6%] for LOP vs. 21 [65.6%] for CHOP; P  = .009), 3 years of overall survival (42 [87.5%] for LOP vs. 20 [62.5%] for CHOP; P  = .006) and progression-free survival (32 [79.2%] for LOP vs. 16 [50.0%] for CHOP; P  = .007). Conclusion The results showed that the LOP regimen is safe and much more efficient than the CHOP regimen for stage IIE ENKTL patients. They indicate that the LOP regimen is a satisfying alternative protocol among the other L-asparaginase-based regimens reported so far, such as SMILE (dexamethasone, methotrexate, ifosfamide, L-asparaginase, and etoposide), GELOX (gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and L-asparaginase), CHOP-L, and sandwich (CT, then RT, then CT).