Non-hodgkin's lymphomas: Characteristics of long-term survivors following conservative treatment

A most important set of prognostic factors for survival among 467 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma receiving conservative treatment was determined statistically by the Cox proportional hazards model. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was diagnosed in these patients between 1958 and 1969. Initial biopsy material was classified according to the Working Formulation, and the Rappaport, Kiel, and Lukes-Collins systems. The Cox analysis identified a group of 37 patients with a median survival of 150 months. These patients had the following characteristics: (1) small lymphocyte, plasmacytoid lymphocyte, small cleaved, large cleaved or non-cleaved follicular center cell histologic subtype (Lukes-Collins); (2) no bulky involvement of mesenteric nodes or critical organs-kidney, urinary tract, or pleura; (3) stages I to III disease (78 percent stage I or IE); (4) no B symptoms; (5) age below 60 years; (6) initial resection as a reflection of localized disease. Paients with advanced-stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma receiving conservative treatment have a relatively short survival (median, less than five years) regardless of histologic subtype.