Prognostic factors and therapeutic efficacy of combined radio-chemotherapy in Waldeyer's ring non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Abstract

Objective: To improve the prognosis and therapeutic efficacy of Waldeyer's ring non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL-WR), combined radio-chemotherapy was used to treat the patients with NHL-WR and prognostic factors were analyzed.

Methods: Ninety patients with stage I-IV NHL-WR were treated with combined radio-chemotherapy. 4000 cGy to 6000 cGy were given to Waldeyer's ring structure and involved cervical nodes. Uninvolved low cervical nodes received 3000 cGy to 4000 cGy. The combination chemotherapy consisted of COPP (cyclophosphamide [CTX], vincristine [VCR], procarbazine [PCZ], prednisone [PDN]) or CHOP (CTX, ADM, VCR and PDN). Univariate analysis was performed to determine the prognostic unfavorable factors.

Results: Five-year overall survival rate was 69.7% for the whole group, and 83.2% for patients with stage I, II. In univariate analyses, over survival (OS) rates of the patients with low and intermediate grade (76.1%), with stage I, II (83.2%), without fever (75.2%) and with performance status (PS) 0, 1 (85.7%) were significantly better than those of the patients with high grade (53.0%), with stage III, IV (24.7%) with fever (38.5%), with PS2 (41.7%), PS3, 4 (0.0%), respectively (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Combined radio-chemotherapy can improve the 5-year survival rate for the patients with NHL-WR, especially for stage I, II patients. PS > or = 2, stage III, IV, fever and high grade histology were associated with unfavorable prognosis.