title: Primary bone lymphoma: experience with 52 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A retrospective analysis was performed to assess the efficacy of various treatments of non-Hodgkin's primary bone lymphomas (PBL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two consecutive, previously untreated PBL patients were seen between the years 1982 and 1998. Information was obtained regarding each patient's presentation and clinical course. Histology was reviewed in all cases. Modern immunohistochemical stains were performed on each case.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regarding therapeutic approach, we observed a complete response (CR) in 35/41 (85%) patients treated with chemotherapy with/without radiation therapy and in 7/11 (64%) patients who received radiation therapy alone. Relapses were observed in only 2/35 (6%) patients after chemotherapy (with/without radiation therapy), as compared with 4/7 (57%) patients after radiation therapy alone (p = 0.004); the relapse-free survival curves of these two subsets were significantly different. At both univariate and multivariate analysis only type of front-line therapeutic approach (chemotherapy with/without radiation therapy vs. radiation therapy alone) turned out to have a significant prognostic influence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that in PBL use of chemotherapy or combined-modality therapy seems to provide more durable CRs than radiation therapy alone.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ematologia e Oncologia Medica L. & A. Seràgnoli, Policlinico S. Orsola, via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. plzinzo@med.unibo.it
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Zinzani
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carrillo
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ascani
authors.forename: Enza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paulli
authors.forename: Vitttorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stefoni
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sabattini
authors.forename: Lapo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alinari
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Binazzi
authors.forename: Sante
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tura
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baccarani
authors.forename: Stefano A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pileri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome