title: Favourable outcomes in children with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated by a short-term ALL-like regimen: a report on the NHL960 study from the Japanese Childhood Cancer and Leukemia Study Group.
abstract: In the NHL960 non-LB study, we treated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) using a short-term ALL-like protocol. Thirty children up to 16 years of age with DLBCL were stratified into group 1 with stage I/II disease, or group 2 with stage III/IV disease. Their ages ranged from 9 months to 16 years of age, with a median of 9 years of age. The Murphy's stages were stage I in 7, stage II in 10, stage III in 6, and stage IV in 7 subjects. They received an ALL-like treatment without prophylactic cranial irradiation for 6 or 9 months. All children achieved a complete remission. Two patients with stage 3 disease experienced recurrences at 18 and 37 months after the start of chemotherapy. They responded to a short intensive regimen with Rituximab, followed by stem cell transplantation, and are alive without disease. The follow-up time ranged from 41 to 124 months with a median of 80 months. For all patients analyzed in this study, their overall survival and event-free survival (EFS) at 7-years was 100% and 93% +/- 4%, respectively. The 7-year EFS according to the treatment group was 100% for group 1, and 83% +/- 11% for group 2, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Aichi Medical University, Aichi, Japan. mtsuru@aichi-med-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsurusawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taga
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horikoshi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kikuta
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanegane
authors.forename: Takeji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hyakuna
authors.forename: Yasuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimomura
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohshima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008727:Methotrexate; D011239:Prednisolone; D012074:Remission Induction; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011239:Prednisolone; C027260:pirarubicin; D008727:Methotrexate