BEACOPP

BEACOPP is a chemotherapy regimen for treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma developed by the German Hodgkin Study Group[http://en.ghsg.org/home German Hodgkin Study Group] used for patients in Stages > II or early (IA or IB) with unfavorable risk factors.{{cite journal|last=von Tresckow|first=Bastian|title=Dose-Intensification in Early Unfavorable Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Final Analysis of the German Hodgkin Study Group HD14 Trial|journal=Journal of Clinical Oncology|date=March 20, 2012|volume=30|issue=9 |pages=907–913|doi=10.1200/JCO.2011.38.5807|pmid=22271480 |url=http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/30/9/907.full.pdf+html|accessdate=2013-01-24|display-authors=etal|doi-access=free}}

Patients typically receive treatment in cycles of 21 days with no drugs given on days 15–21.[http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/suppl/2012/01/23/JCO.2011.38.5807.DC1/385807_Redacted_trial_protocol.pdf See HD14 Redacted Trial Protocol, available at]

There also exists a more intensive regimen with cycles of 14 days. Usually a course of BEACOPP therapy consists of four, sometimes six to eight cycles, or in combination with ABVD.

In some countries BEACOPP still is experimental, in others (e.g. Germany and Austria) it is a standard therapy. In the United States, ABVD (or Stanford V) is generally given instead, because of the possibility of BEACOPP inducing more secondary neoplasias (such as leukemias), although the final results from a clinical trial (GHSG HD14) indicate that "there were no overall differences in treatment-related mortality or secondary malignancies" of BEACOPP relative to ABVD.

Some{{who|date=May 2025}} believe that the BEACOPP regimen is used less often in the US for cost reasons:{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}{{original research inline|date=May 2025}}

  • Twice as many infusion per cycle relative to ABVD;
  • Requirement for G-CSF support, which was under patent protection in the US until 2013 (as Neupogen by Amgen),{{cite web|title=Neupogen|url=http://www.fiercepharma.com/special-reports/neupogen|publisher=Fierce Pharma|accessdate=2013-01-24}}{{update needed|date=May 2025}} while that patent protection expired in the EU in 2008;{{cite web|title=Amgen And Its Biosimilar Competitors|work=Seeking Alpha |date=5 September 2012 |url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/846451-amgen-and-its-biosimilar-competitors|publisher=SeekingAlpha|accessdate=2013-01-24 |last1=Geschek |first1=Peter }}
  • Higher likelihood of adverse events requiring hospitalization, such as infection or acute toxicity;

However,{{tone inline|date=May 2025}} BEACOPP delivers approximately 7% points success relative to ABVD for early unfavorable Hodgkin lymphoma (as measured five-year freedom from treatment failure) and 12% points greater success relative to ABVD for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (Stage IIB with risk factors or stages III and IV) as measured by seven-year freedom from treatment failure.{{cite journal|last=Viviani|first=Simonetta|title=ABVD versus BEACOPP for Hodgkin's Lymphoma When High-Dose Salvage Is Planned|journal=New England Journal of Medicine|date=July 21, 2011|volume=365|issue=3|pages=203–212|doi=10.1056/nejmoa1100340|display-authors=etal|pmid=21774708|doi-access=free}}

Predecessors of BEACOPP were COPP and (the earliest) MOPP.

Dosing regimen

class="wikitable"

! Drug !! Base BEACOPP !! Dose-Escalated BEACOPP !! Method !! Cycle Day

(B)leomycin10 mg/m210 mg/m2i.v. pushday 8
(E)toposide100 mg/m2200 mg/m2i.v. infusionday 1–3
(A)driamycin (doxorubicin)25 mg/m235 mg/m2i.v. pushday 1
(C)yclophosphamide650 mg/m21250 mg/m2i.v. infusionday 1
(O)ncovin=Vincristine1.4 mg/m2 (max 2 mg)1.4 mg/m2 (max 2 mg)i.v. infusionday 8
(P)rocarbazine100 mg/m2100 mg/m2orallyday 1–7
(P)rednisone40 mg/m240 mg/m2orallyday 1–14

See also

References