Private sector clinicians and their patients are generally unaware of chlamydial partner notification outcomes but are receptive to expanded partner notification services.

Thirty-three patients with symptomatic Waldenström's macroglobulinemia have been treated with the M-2 protocol (BCNU, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, melphalan, and prednisone). Therapy was administered every 5 weeks for 2 years and every 10 weeks for an additional 1-3 years. Median clinical and laboratory parameters included age 70 years (range 52-87), performance status 1 (1-3), prior therapy 7, weight loss 12, symptomatic hyperviscosity 13, splenomegaly 22, lymphadenopathy 7, hemoglobin 9.6 g/dl (6.7-14.6), IgM paraprotein level 2000 mg% (340-11,600), and serum viscosity 2.1 (1.4-6.0). Responses were observed in 27 patients, of whom 21 were partial responses. Survival ranges from 1 to 120+ months with 58% of patients projected to be alive at 10 years. Twenty-one patients remain alive, of whom 10 are greater than or equal to 6 years from initiation of therapy with M-2. Treatment has been well tolerated with usually only mild to moderate hematologic toxicity. Median nadir white blood cells during the first cycle was 3000/mm3 (1000-5500). Peripheral neuropathy was seen in 54% secondary to vincristine. Nausea/vomiting, anemia requiring transfusions, and alopecia were each noted in approximately 25% of patients. Sepsis was observed in 2 patients. Two characteristics, age and prior therapy, were found to be of borderline statistical significance (p = 0.03) using univariate analysis but were not significant with multivariate analysis. The M-2 protocol may be able to produce prolonged survival in the majority of patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia. Additional trials are needed to develop recommendations for therapy as well as factors predictive for survival and suitability for treatment.

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Twenty patients with stage III and IV diffuse well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma were treated with combination chemotherapy consisting of BCNU, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, melphalan and prednisone (M-2). Treatment was given every 5 weeks for 11 cycles in responding patients. The median age of the patients was 62 years (range 45–76). There were 12 complete remissions and 6 partial remissions for an overall response rate of 90%. The median duration of remission was 24 months (range 12–79 months) and was identical for complete responders and partial responders. All but 2 responding patients have been subsequently retreated for relapse. The median survival was 84 months (range 1–108 months). Myelosuppression was mild. Nausea/vomiting, neuropathy, alopecia and gastrointestinal symptoms from prednisone were seen in the minority of patients. One patient expired from sepsis/neutropenia during the first cycle of therapy. The M-2 protocol produces effective remissions in diffuse well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma. The relapse and survival pattern are similar to the results achieved with other chemotherapy regimens in low-grade lymphoma.