ABSTRACT Background Peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a heterogeneous disease, composed of five distinctive subtypes. Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) represents a distinct clinicopathological entity in PTCLs, but there have been limited data concerning the efficacy of treatment for the rarity of this disease. Here, we report the efficacy of treatment with anthracycline-based chemotherapy in 49 AITL patients. Material and method A total of 49 patients diagnosed with AITL between April 1994 and October 2011 after the histopathological and immunohistochemical review were analyzed. All patients analyzed were treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the date of diagnosis to death. Progression free survival (PFS) was defined as the date of diagnosis to the first date of disease progression, relapse, death as a result of any cause, or the last date of follow-up. OS and PFS were analyzed according to the Kaplan-Meier methods. Results 14 of 49 patients (28.6%) were treated with adriamycin-based chemotherapy (CHOP), and 35 patients (71.4%) received epirubicin-based chemotherapy (CEOP). 4 patients (8.16%) received high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation when the disease relapsed. Overall response rate was 69.4%, and complete remission was shown in 21 patients. (42.9%). 6 cases (12.2%) of the AITLs had progressive disease, and the response was not evaluated in 9 cases due to follow-up loss or early death. Only 2 patients of 49 (4.1%) were related to treatment related death, defined as death within 28 days after the initial day of therapy. 21-month OS rates were 77%, reaching a plateau level around 2 years. 2-year and 5-year PFS rates were 34% and 23%, respectively. Conclusion Anthracycline-based chemotherapy could be a choice of chemotherapy regimen, given the acceptable outcome of long term survival. The initial 2-year survival after initiation of the treatment is poor, and further analysis is required for factors associated with the initial poor treatment outcome in AITL patients. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.