Adjuvant low dose radiation in childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (report from the United Kingdom Childrens' Cancer Study Group--UKCCSG).

From July 1977 to July 1983, 120 children with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma entered a randomised trial of combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The primary site was abdominal in 42 patients, mediastinal in 27 and in other sites in 51. Failure-free survival (FFS) at 4 years was 74% for the 41 patients with localised disease (Stages I and II) and 51% for the 79 with generalised disease (Stages III and IV). Patients with mediastinal primaries continued to relapse after the completion of 2 years' treatment, but FFS at 4 years for the 93 patients with non-mediastinal primaries was 65% for all stages combined. In the latter group, there was no benefit to patients randomised at the end of induction chemotherapy to receive adjuvant radiation 15 Grays in 10 fractions in 2 weeks to sites of previous bulky disease when compared to those not receiving such radiation (P = 0.6).