BEACOPP

Overview
BEACOPP is a chemotherapy regimen for treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma in Stages > II. Patients typically receive treatment in cycles of 21 days with no drugs given on days 16-21. There also exists a more intensive regimen with cycles of 14 days. Usually a therapy consists of eight, sometimes six cycles. In some countries BEACOPP still is experimental, in others (eg. Germany and Austria) it is a standard therapy. The reason that the United States physicians still use ABVD (or Stanford V) is that they think that BEACOPP induces more secondary neoplasias as leukemias, etc. However, this (after 10 years of experience) is not the case. BEACOPP delivers approximately 10-15% more cures in advanced Hodgkins disease (IIB+risk factors or stages III and IV). BEACOPP is more expensive as it requires G-CSF support. However, it is well worth it because of the higher cure rates.

m² = body surface

i.v.=intravenous

BEACOPP basic:

BEACOPP escalated: