Urate-oxidase in the prevention and treatment of metabolic complications in patients with B-cell lymphoma and leukemia, treated in the Société Française d’Oncologie Pédiatrique LMB89 protocol

• Published in: Annals of oncology Vol. 13; no. 5; pp. 789 - 795
• Main Authors: Patte, C., Sakiroglu, C., Ansoborlo, S., Baruchel, A., Plouvier, E., Pacquement, H., Babin-Boilletot, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 01-05-2002
• Subjects: hyperuricemia; Key words: B-cell lymphoma; L3 leukemia; LMB protocol; tumor lysis syndrome; urate-oxidase
• ISSN: 0923-7534; 1569-8041
• DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdf134

Purpose To evaluate the frequency of metabolic complications and dialysis due to tumor lysis syndrome in patients with B-cell advanced-stage non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and L3 leukemia at initiation of chemotherapy including the use of urate-oxidase. Patients and methods Retrospective review of the clinical records of 410 patients with stage III and IV B-cell NHL and L3 leukemia treated in France and prospectively registered in the LMB89 protocol. Results During the first week of chemotherapy, only 34 of 410 patients recorded metabolic problems that included hypocalcemia (<70 mg/dl) in 24 patients, hyperphosphatemia (>6.5 mg/dl) in 28 and elevation of creatinine ≥2 SD in 16. Six patients underwent dialysis for life-threatening problems and a seventh as a preventive measure. In the other 27 cases, metabolic problems were successfully resolved using urate-oxidase in combination with alkaline hyperhydration. Among the 410 patients, one case of hemolysis was reported and there was no severe allergic reaction to urate-oxidase. Conclusions Only 1.7% of patients in our study receiving urate-oxidase during their induction chemotherapy needed renal dialysis. Urate-oxidase was well tolerated, and used as prophylaxis and/or treatment of hyperuricemia and tumor lysis syndrome consistently gave a lower rate of renal and metabolic complications than in other series of similar patients.