[Clinical features of 89 patients with primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the tonsil].
OBJECTIVE
Head and neck lymphoma develops predominantly in the tonsil. This study was to investigate the clinical features of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the tonsil, and to explore possible ways to improve the prognosis and quality of life of the patients after treatment.


METHODS
Clinical data of 89 naive patients with NHL of the tonsil, treated from May 1990 to Jan. 2003, were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were confirmed pathologically and classified according to revised European-American Lymphoid Neoplasms and World Health Organization Classification, and staged according to the Ann Arbor classification. Stage I-II patients received radiochemotherapy-predominant treatment, whereas stage III-IV patients received chemotherapy-predominant treatment.


RESULTS
Of the 89 cases, 60 (67%) were diffuse large B-cell subtype, 11 (12%) were peripheral T-cell subtype, 5 (6%) were indolent lymphoma, 1 was anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma, and 1 was T lymphoblastic lymphoma; 81 (91%) were stage I-II disease. Of the 89 patients, 58 (72%) received radiochemotherapy, 19 (21%) received radiotherapy alone, 3 received chemotherapy alone, and 1 received radiochemotherapy combined with rituximab. The 5-year overall survival rate was 80%, that of stage I-II patients was 84%. Cox regression multivariate analysis showed that the survival rate was correlated to the value of international prognostic index (IPI), and whether the patient had primary refractory or relapsed disease, but was not correlated to sex, age, pathologic subtype, B symptoms, and bulky disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Most patients with NHL of the tonsil are at early stages, with good prognosis. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common pathologic subtype. Primary refractory, relapse, and IPI>1 are independent prognostic factors.
Qin
Yan
Y
Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital/Cancer Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, P. R. China.
Shi
Yuan-Kai
YK
He
Xiao-Hui
XH
Yang
Jian-Liang
JL
Yang
Sheng
S
Yu
Yan-Xia
YX
Li
Bo
B
Wang
Qi-Lu
QL
Zhou
Li-Qiang
LQ
Sun
Yan
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D016411:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone