ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The outcome for patients presenting with acute renal failure and Burkitt lymphoma (BLARF) without dialysis is poor. This was a retrospective non-randomized comparative study designed to determine the outcome of two different treatment protocols. METHODS: One group of patients (TPA) received oral allopurinol, intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate, furosemide, 8.4% sodium bicarbonate, and intrathecal (IT) methotrexate; the other (TPB) alternate day IV infusion of low dose cyclosphosphamide (125 mg/m(2) x 4 doses), IT methotrexate (Days 1 and 5) and aggressive pre-emptive anti-tumor lysis syndrome therapy including oral allopurinol and calcium lactate, IV calcium gluconate, salbutamol, insulin and infusions of furosemide, sodium bicarbonate and glucose. RESULTS: Nine of 16 received TPA, 7 received TPB. Post chemotherapy anemia was more severe with TPA (P < 0.05). TPB patients received significantly more chemotherapy than those in TPA (P = 0.04). All 16 had tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). Six of nine patients with TPA died from this (three from other causes), two deaths in TPB were due to causes other than tumor lysis. Other evaluated outcome indices were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Slow IV infusion of low dose cyclophosphamide given on alternate days in addition to pre-emptive anti-TLS measures (TPB) were associated with better outcome in BLARF patients compared to a high dose multiple chemotherapy regimen (TPA).