[Follicle centre lymphoma: treatment results for stage I and II].
OBJECTIVE
Radiotherapy is a curative treatment modality in the early stages of follicle centre lymphoma. Survival rates, patterns of failure and prognostic factors were evaluated in a retrospective analysis.


METHODS
116 patients with follicle centre lymphoma stage I and II were treated between 1970 and 1999 in Dresden. Therapy modalities were radiotherapy alone (103 patients) or combined radiotherapy/chemotherapy (13 patients). Radiotherapy was applied as involved-field-(IFI)- (104 patients), extended-field- (nine patients) or total-nodal- (three patients) irradiation. Patients received doses between 25 Gy and 50 Gy (median 35 Gy).


RESULTS
The 5- and 10-year actuarial overall survival rates were 76% and 51%. Relapse free survival was 62% and 48% respectively. The median follow-up was 4,0 years. Relapses after complete remission were registered in 44 cases. Six patients have had in-field-recurrences. The majority of out-field-recurrences were nodal relapses (50%). 11% of relapses occurred outside of lymph nodes or were disseminated failures (18%). Significant favorable prognostic factors identified by multivariate and univariate analysis were low age (age < 50 years vs. age > 50 years), low stage and performance of bipedal lymphangiography as primary staging procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
Radiotherapy is an effective and tolerable treatment modality for follicle centre lymphoma in the early stages I and II. We registered a high proportion of nodal recurrences, which may be minimized by prophylactic extended radiotherapy.
Neumann
Holger
H
Praxis für Strahlentherapie, Humaine-Klinik Dresden, Dresden. neumann@humaine-dd.de
Blanck
Hilpert
H
Koch
Rainer
R
Fiedler
Steffen
S
Lesche
Aquina
A
Herrmann
Thomas
T
D000367:Age Factors; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008220:Lymphography; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010315:Particle Accelerators; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D014750:Vincristine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone