Causes of death in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The causes of death and postmortem findings in patients treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at a single institution over a 13-year period were reviewed. Postmortem examination (70% of the entire sample) revealed evidence of lymphoma in 67 of 80 patients. The most frequent extranodal sites of involvement were the respiratory tract, bone marrow, liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract in that order. The most common cause of death was infection (33% of cases). Predisposing factors for infection included the underlying disease, (i.e., lymphomatous infiltration of organ systems) and granulocytopenia secondary to combination chemotherapy. Other causes of death included hemorrhage and respiratory failure secondary to lymphomatous infiltration of the lung. Despite advances in therapy and supportive care of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, many patients still die of this disease or of sequelae related to its treatment.