Histologic subtypes and survival of Chinese patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Abstract

The histologic subtypes and survival of 840 Chinese patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were reviewed. All cases were classified according to the Rappaport and Kiel systems and the Working Formulation (WF). A low incidence of nodular/follicular lymphomas (12%) was observed. The most common histologic subtypes were diffuse histiocytic, diffuse centroblastic, and diffuse large cell lymphomas, according to Rappaport, Kiel, and the WF, respectively. A high proportion (24%) of the cases were unclassifiable, according to Kiel, because of the precise terms of the classification. The "favorable"-prognosis NHL, according to Rappaport, or the low-grade NHL, according to Kiel and the WF, had a more indolent clinical course. However, except for the nodular mixed (Rappaport) or follicular mixed (WF) lymphomas which appeared to behave like the more aggressive NHL, a plateau was not seen in the survival curves of our patients with other kinds of favorable-prognosis or low-grade NHL, indicating the lack of curative potential of these tumors. The lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma, according to Kiel, also appeared to have a more aggressive clinical course. A plateau was seen in most of the other survival curves of patients with the more aggressive tumors, indicating the prospect of cure. However, the prognosis of the very aggressive tumors such as the diffuse lymphoblastic and diffuse small noncleaved cell lymphomas, according to the WF, remains very poor with a median survival of less than 10 months.

HTLV‐I associated adult T‐cell leukaemia/lymphoma in Hong Kong

“…Compared to the western population, a relatively high incidence of T-cell malignancies is seen in the Hong Kong Chinese [3]. About 7CL-801 of our cases of lymphoma are aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma and among them, 30% have a T-immunophenotype [3,4]. men showed the presence of paraortic lymphadenopathy and a mild splenomegaly.…”

Copp chemotherapy for elderly patients with intermediate and high grade non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma

“…It has been well shown that for aggressive lymphoma, CR rates and survival decrease with age and relapse rates are also higher. 15,16 Failures of treatment can be due to toxicities, poor tumour response or unrelated causes. It is well known that if elderly patients are given intensive chemotherapy at doses used in younger patients, severe and lethal toxicities are much more commonly ob~erved.…”