Long term assessment of patterns of treatment failure and survival in patients with stage I or II follicular lymphoma.
BACKGROUND
Follicular lymphoma is a clearly defined type of malignant lymphoma. The many treatment approaches reported in the literature attest to the lack of agreement on its best management. The treatment experiences of patients with Stage I or II follicular lymphoma who were at risk for at least 5 years were reviewed to assess their survival, disease free survival, and patterns of failure.


METHODS
Between 1974 and 1988, 144 patients with Stage I or II follicular lymphoma were treated at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Initial staging studies included lymphangiography in 87% of the patients, computerized tomography of the abdomen and pelvis in 60%, bone marrow biopsy in 98%, and diagnostic or staging laparotomy in 33%. Forty-five patients were treated with regional radiotherapy, 84 patients with combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and 15 patients were treated with chemotherapy alone.


RESULTS
With a median follow-up of 8.7 years (range, 48-182 months) the actuarial survival rates at 5, 10, and 15 years were 81, 69, and 63%, respectively. The freedom from relapse (FFR) rates were 66, 56, and 46%, respectively. The FFR rate was better for patients treated with chemotherapy-radiotherapy than for patients treated with radiotherapy alone (63 vs. 35% at 15 years). In addition, there were no relapses after 7.5 years in patients treated with chemotherapy-radiotherapy, but relapses continued even beyond 15 years in patients treated with radiotherapy alone. Univariate analysis for each of the treatment groups revealed age to be the only significant prognostic factor. There was no significant difference in survival or disease free survival rates for the three histologic subtypes of follicular lymphoma.


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy may have increased the probability of cure for patients with Stages I or II follicular lymphoma.
Besa
P C
PC
Department of Radiotherapy, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
McLaughlin
P W
PW
Cox
J D
JD
Fuller
L M
LM
D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D008220:Lymphography; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D017211:Treatment Failure