Clinicopathologic features and treatment outcomes in malignant lymphoma of pediatric and young adult patients in Korea: comparison of korean all-ages group and Western younger age group.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to define distinctive clinicopathologic features of malignant lymphoma in pediatric and young adult patients, particularly in Korea.


METHODS
From May 1993 to November 2005, 294 pediatric and young adult patients (age range, 0-31 years) with malignant lymphoma were analyzed in this study at Samsung Medical Center. We also compared this group with the Korean all-ages group and Western younger age group using previously reported data.


RESULTS
Hodgkin disease appears more common in the younger age group than in the all-ages group (15% vs. 5.3%; P = .001). Among patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), T/natural killer cell immunophenotype is more common in the present younger age group than the all-ages group (45.5% vs. 25%; P = .001) and Western younger age group (45.5% vs. 13.3%; P = .001). Lymphoblastic lymphoma and T-anaplastic large-cell lymphoma included relatively higher proportions in the younger age group. Overall survival for patients in the group aged 21-31 years was significantly inferior to that of the other younger age group (P = .014).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of Hodgkin disease and T-cell NHL is relatively higher in pediatric and young-adult population group than the all-ages group. However, treatment outcome of the younger age group, excluding lymphoblastic lymphoma, seems to be similar to those in any age group.
Hwang
In Gyu
IG
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Yoo
Keon Hee
KH
Lee
Soo Hyun
SH
Park
Yeon Hee
YH
Lim
Tae Kyu
TK
Lee
Sang Cheol
SC
Park
Sara
S
Park
Byeong-Bae
BB
Ko
Young Hyeh
YH
Kim
Kihyun
K
Koo
Hong Hoe
HH
Kim
Won Seog
WS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016019:Survival Analysis; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data