Stanford V (usually spoken as Stanford Five), is a chemotherapy regimen (with accompanying Radiation therapy) intended as a first-line treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. The regimen was developed in 1988, with the objective of maintaining a high remission rate while reducing the incidence of acute and long term toxicity, pulmonary damage, and sterility observed in alternative treatment regimens such as ABVD.[1] The chemical agents used are:
| Drug | Dose | Mode | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doxorubicin | 25 mg/m2 | IV | Days 1 and 15 |
| Vinblastine | 6 mg/m2 | IV | Days 1 and 15 |
| Chlormethine | 6 mg/m2 | IV | Day 1 |
| Vincristine | 1.4 mg/m2 (max 2 mg) | IV | Days 8 and 22 |
| Bleomycin | 5 units/m2 | IV | Days 8 and 22 |
| Etoposide | 60 mg/m2 | IV | Days 15, 16 |
| Prednisone | 40 mg/m2 | PO | Q2D |
The chemotherapy part of Stanford V treatment can last anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the staging of the disease. In many cases, this is followed by radiation therapy for anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to the affected areas of the body.
Stanford V is a more rigorously administered form of chemotherapy, with treatments roughly twice as fast as those of other Hodgkin lymphoma treatments. However, in a randomized controlled study, Stanford V was inferior to ABVD.[4] This study has been criticized for not adhering to the proper Stanford V protocol. Specifically, the radiation therapy component following chemotherapy was not properly administered in the Italian study. A retrospective study from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center displayed results similar to the Stanford Cancer Center's own experience. The study concluded that, "Stanford V with appropriate radiotherapy is a highly effective regimen for locally extensive and advanced HL."[5]
