RISK-FACTORS FOR CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM INVOLVEMENT IN NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA - A MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS

A consecutive cohort of patients with NHL was examined to identify the factors predictive of CNS-involvement with Cox's proportional hazards model in a multivariate analysis, Twenty-seven cases of CNS-involveme nt were found among 498 patients with NHL, Only 3 of 96 patients with low-grade lymphomas had CNS involvement, all occurring after transform ation into high-grade lymphoma, In univariate analysis of 402 patients with intermediate or high-grade lymphoma, lymphoblastic histology (in cluding Burkitt's lymphoma), age <35 years, B-symptoms, stage IV disea se, testis involvement and bone marrow involvement were found to be st atistically significant risk factors, Lymphoblastic histology was foun d to be strongly correlated to age younger than 35 years, In the multi variate analysis only lymphoblastic histology, stage IV disease and B- symptoms were found to be significantly associated with CNS involvemen t, It is concluded that CNS prophylaxis should be considered in all pa tients with lymphoblastic histology and in patients with stage IV B ly mphomas other than those of low-grade types.