185 patients with high grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma stages II-IV entered this multicentre trial and were randomized to receive either four cycles of CHOEP (cyclophosphamide 750mg/m2 i.v. d 1, dox-orubicin 50 mg/m2 i.v. d 1, vincristine 2 mg i.v. d 1, etoposide 100 mg/ m2 i.v. d 3–5, prednisolone 100 mg p.o. d 1–5) (treatment arm A), or four cycles of chemotherapy with hCHOP (cyclophosphamide 1,200 mg/m2 i.v. d 1, doxorubicin 40 mg/m2 i.v. d 1 + 2, vincristine 2mg i.v. d 1, prednisolone 100 mg p.o. d 1–5) alternating with IVEP (ifosfamide 1,500 mg/m2 i.v. d 1–5, vindesine 3 mg/m2 i.v. d 1, etoposide 120mg/m2 70 years after hCHOP. Main side effects were mild nausea/vomiting, leukopenia and fever/infection associated with leukopenia. In conclusion, both treatment modalities produced high complete remission rates. A longer follow-up will be needed to exclude differences in overall and diseas