Salvage extended-field irradiation in follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after failure of chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of total abdominopelvic (TAI) and total body irradiation (TBI) in heavily pretreated follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).


METHODS
From 1983 to 1998, 34 patients received TAI (n = 22) or TBI (n = 12). All had Stage III or IV, Class B, C, D NHL in the working formulation and failed after receiving 1-5 regimens of chemotherapy. TAI was given at 20 Gy over a 3-week period. TBI was delivered in two successive half-body irradiations of 15 Gy over a 2-week period with a 4-week interval between each.


RESULTS
Mean follow-up from TAI or TBI was 120 months (range, 6-180). Seventy-six percent of patients achieved complete response and 24% partial response. Median survival was 62 months, 5-year and 10-year overall survival was 59% and 41%, and disease-free survival was 56% and 30%, respectively. Grade III or IV toxicity was gastrointestinal in 38% of patients and hematologic in 30%. No toxic death or delayed complications were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Extended-field irradiation is feasible and efficient after failure of chemotherapy in follicular NHL.
Mahé
M a
Ma
Centre René Gauducheau, Cedex, France. ma-mahe@nantes.fnclcc.fr
Bourdin
S
S
Le Pourhiet-Le Mevel
A
A
Moreau
P
P
Campion
L
L
Hamidou
M
M
Milpied
N
N
Moreau
A
A
Gaillard
F
F
Harousseau
J L
JL
Cuillière
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation / Q000009:adverse effects