Total body irradiation in non-Hodgkin lymphoma and its effect on bone marrow and peripheral blood.

Patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma have been treated with total body irradiation (T.B.I.). Very high remission rate is obtained in lymphosarcomas, but response in histiosarcoma is extremely poor. Bone marrow study suggests that marrow depression following T.B.I. is transient and complete recovery occurs provided the bone marrow is not already compromised by previous chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Extreme caution is required when T.B.I. is repeated as this may lead to progressive marrow hypoplasia.