title: Effect of the degree of nodularity on the survival of patients with nodular lymphomas.
abstract: The survival of patients with favorable lymphoma entered on various Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) studies was analyzed according to the degree of nodularity. A pure nodular pattern (NN), defined as nodularity involving 75% or more of the cross-sectional area, was found to be an important favorable prognostic indicator as compared with a nodular-diffuse pattern (ND). The median survival in 336 patients with NN of 68.2 months was significantly better than the 39.6 months in 87 patients with ND (P less than .003). The median survival in NN-lymphocytic poorly differentiated (LPD) was 77.2 months v 44.3 months for ND-LPD. NN-M median survival of 56.4 months contrasted with only 25.5 months for ND-mixed lymphocytic and histiocytic (M). The degree of nodularity as defined in this study appears to have significant prognostic implication and should be more widely used by pathologists.
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies