Nodular lymphoma. Prolongation of survival by complete remission.

Forty previously untreated patients with either nodular poorly differentiated lymphocytic or nodular mixed lymphocytic/histiocytic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were evaluated for length of survival from the onset of combination chemotherapy. Complete remissions from initial therapy were achieved in 27/40 patients (67.5%). Actuarial analysis of survival shows that 83% of the complete responders from initial treatment are expected to be living at 7 years in contrast to a less than 2-year median survival of those who failed to reach complete remission with initial therapy when deaths from nonlymphomatous causes are excluded. Wilcoxon comparison of these curves shows a significant (p = 0.0001) advantage for those who are able to attain a complete remission. Treatment was not implicated in any death. Of those patients not reaching complete remission from initial therapy, 80% of the survivors attained a complete response from other therapy. It is concluded that complete remission attainment from initial chemotherapy significantly prolongs survival for patients with nodular lymphoma. Therefore, since combination chemotherapy has given higher complete remission rates than have single agents, such therapy offers the patient with nodular lymphoma the greatest chance for prolonged survival.