The Hodgkin lymphoma drug known as cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) may be significantly less effective for children, says a new study from researchers at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. For the study they examined instances in which Cytoxan was adopted for treatment after the industry standard mechlorethamine (Mustargen) became unavailable.
They found that children who began taking the drug as a second option saw a 75 percent rate of event-free survival over two years. This is compared to an 88 percent rate with Mustargen.
"Our results suggest that even promising substitute regimens should be examined carefully before adoption; what might appear to be a suitable alternative regimen may result in an inferior outcome -- an intolerable situation for young people with curable diseases," the researchers wrote of their findings.
Their data appears in the December 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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