Treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (stage I, II) of the elderly: usefulness of local and regional irradiation and reduced dose chemotherapy.

PURPOSE

To examine the usefulness and safety of a new treatment regimen consisting of irradiation to the involved area and adjacent lymph node area, and reduced dose chemotherapy for elderly patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The core of this study was 38 elderly patients older than 65 years old with intermediate or high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and concomitantly suffering from some other geriatric disease. They received involved area irradiation (40 Gy), adjacent lymph node irradiation (30 Gy), and reduced dose chemotherapy (two cycles of 50-70% ACOP: Doxorubicin, Cyclosphosphamide, Vincristine, Prednisone or 70% MACOP-B: Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Methotrexate, Bleomycin, Prednisone for 4 weeks).

RESULTS

The completion rate of the treatment regimen was 100%. The 5-year local control rate was 98%. The 5-year disease-free survival rate and the 5-year cause-specific survival rate for all patients were 70 and 82%, respectively. No treatment deaths were observed, and the rate of serious complications arising from the treatment was 3%.

CONCLUSIONS

The newly conducted treatment regimen proved to be safe and useful for elderly patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma concomitantly suffering from some other geriatric disease.