title: High-dose therapy with autologous stem cell support for lymphoma in Norway 1987-2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-dose therapy with autologous stem cell support (HDT) has been a treatment option for lymphomas in Norway for 25 years. The purpose of the article was to describe the use of the therapy for lymphomas for the country as a whole and by health region, and to reveal the overall survival rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  All lymphoma patients ≥ 18 years who received HDT in Norway in the period 1987-2008 are included. Patients, diagnostics and treatment are identified for each hospital. Data for the population base have been retrieved from Statistics Norway.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether 726 lymphoma patients received HDT in Norway in the period 1987-2008, with an annual average of 0.72 per 100,000 inhabitants. The annual number of treatments increased until 2004 and has since been stable. The average number of treatments per 100,000 inhabitants per year was 0.94 for Northern Norway Health Region, 0.80 for South-Eastern Norway Health Region, 0.58 for Central Norway Health Region and 0.55 for Western Norway Health Region. Early mortality (death within 100 days) was 6%. Ten-year overall survival was 55% (95% CI 51-59%), and Hodgkin's lymphoma had the best survival of the lymphoma groups (p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The annual number of HDT increased gradually until 2004. The use of the treatment varied according to the patients' place of residence at the time of diagnosis, and was most frequently used for patients belonging to Northern Norway Health Region. More than half of the lymphoma patients are alive ten years after the treatment.
authors.forename: Knut Bjøro
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Smeland
authors.forename: Cecilie E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Kiserud
authors.forename: Grete F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Lauritzsen
authors.forename: Anne Kirsti
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Blystad
authors.forename: Unn Merete
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Fagerli
authors.forename: Øystein
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Fluge
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fosså
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hammerstrøm
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolstad
authors.forename: Jon Håvard
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Loge
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maisenhølder
authors.forename: Bjørn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Østenstad
authors.forename: Stein
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kvaløy
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Holte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult