Combined modality treatment is the treatment of choice for stage I/IE intermediate and high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
OBJECTIVE
In a retrospective study, the efficacy of radiotherapy alone was compared with combined modality treatment in patients with stage I/IE non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).


METHODS
Between 1980 and 1994, 296 patients with stage I/IE non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of intermediate or high grade malignancy (according to the Working Formulation) were treated in four different institutions. All patients were included except patients that presented with NHLs localized in the central nervous system, testis or skin. Two hundred two patients were treated with radiation therapy alone and 94 patients were treated with combined modality treatment.


RESULTS
Increasing age and radiation as a single treatment (versus combined modality treatment) were highly significant adverse prognostic factors by multivariate analysis. The actuarial 10-year rates for progression-free and overall survival were 83 and 70%, respectively, for the patients treated with combined modality treatment and 47 and 43%, respectively, for the patients treated with radiation therapy alone.


CONCLUSIONS
Combined modality treatment is the treatment of choice for patients with stage I/IE intermediate and high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
van der Maazen
R W
RW
Institute of Radiotherapy, Academic Hospital Nijmegen, St. Radboud, The Netherlands.
Noordijk
E M
EM
Thomas
J
J
Raemaekers
J M
JM
Meerwaldt
J H
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate