[Results of treatment of 178 pediatric non Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas between 1973 and 1978 (author's transl)].

Abstract

178 children presenting with non Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) were treated using the same protocol from 1973 to 1978 at the Institut Gustave-Roussy. They were classified according to stages (13 stage I, 21 stage II, 80 stage III, 50 stage IV, 6 undetermined stage), according to initial site of involvement (abdomen: 68, mediastineum 55, ORL: 32, lymph glands: 13, "others": 10) and according to histology. They were given combination chemotherapy (Vincristinee-adriamycin-cyclophosphamide-prednisone), preventive CNS therapy by cranial irradiation and intrathecal methotrexate (except in stage I patients) and maintenance therapy by cyclic multiple agents regimens including vincristin-adriamycin, vincristin-cyclophosphamide and cytarabine-asparaginase. Radiation therapy was carried out up to 1977 in stage I and II patients only. Combination chemotherapy improved global survival of pediatric NHL (40% at 4 years, all staged added); however improvements remain to be done in patients with widespread disease.