Primary bone lymphoma: experience with 52 patients.
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.
Zinzani
Pier Luigi
PL
Istituto di Ematologia e Oncologia Medica L. & A. Seràgnoli, Policlinico S. Orsola, via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. plzinzo@med.unibo.it
Carrillo
Giovanna
G
Ascani
Stefano
S
Barbieri
Enza
E
Tani
Monica
M
Paulli
Marco
M
Stefoni
Vitttorio
V
Sabattini
Elena
E
Alinari
Lapo
L
Binazzi
Roberto
R
Tura
Sante
S
Baccarani
Michele
M
Pileri
Stefano A
SA
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