Staging and treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of intermediate-grade malignancy: a retrospective study of 102 cases.

Abstract

Since the introduction of the Working Formulation for Clinical Usage, 3 different prognostic groups are recognized among the various histological classifications of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. We looked at the lymphomas of intermediate-grade malignancy and studied retrospectively the staging and treatment of 102 patients. Almost half of the patients with clinical stage I disease, who therefore received radiotherapy only, later appeared to have had more extended disease. For patients with stage II, III and IV disease the complete remission rate was significantly higher with CHOP than with CVP (76% versus 36%). However, once complete remission was achieved there was no difference in disease-free survival between the 2 groups (at 4 yr, 50% of the patients were in complete remission). As far as the amount of cytostatic drugs given during the initial courses of chemotherapy is concerned, no difference was found between patients who achieved complete remission and those who did not. Most patients did not receive the full dosage. For those patients who did not respond well to initial therapy, or who suffered a relapse, second line therapy was disappointing.