title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: In Gyu
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Keon Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Soo Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yeon Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Tae Kyu
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Sang Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Byeong-Bae
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young Hyeh
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Kihyun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hong Hoe
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Won Seog
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: 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