Radiation therapy versus chemotherapy as initial treatment for localized nasal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma: a single institute survey in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
To clarify the role of intention to treat for patients with localized nasal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, and to determine the prognostic factors for these patients.


METHODS
We conducted a retrospective review of 46 patients with localized nasal NK/T-cell lymphomas treated at a single institute between January 1988 and July 2002.


RESULTS
The type of intended treatment was a significant factor for overall survival (OS) (5-year OS: RT versus CT = 83.3% versus 28.6%, P = 0.0269) or failure-free survival (FFS) (5-year FFS: RT versus CT = 83.3% versus 27.1%, P = 0.0247). In the intended chemotherapy group, salvage with radiotherapy was superior to chemotherapy alone for OS (5-year OS: 42.2% versus 20.0%, P = 0.0252) or FFS (5-year FFS: 41.0% versus 20.0%, P = 0.0352). On multivariate analysis, both N stage and serum lactate dehydrogenase level were independent factors for OS and FFS. No radiotherapy was an independent adverse factor for OS; advanced T stage and more than one extranodal involvement were independent adverse factors for FFS.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with localized nasal NK/T-cell lymphomas were better managed with radiotherapy as front-line therapy. The advantage of radiotherapy persisted even as palliative therapy after chemotherapy.
You
J-Y
JY
Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chi
K-H
KH
Yang
M-H
MH
Chen
C-C
CC
Ho
C-H
CH
Chau
W-K
WK
Hsu
H-C
HC
Gau
J-P
JP
Tzeng
C-H
CH
Liu
J-H
JH
Chen
P-M
PM
Chiou
T-J
TJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000473:pathology*; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome