LYMPHOMA PRESENTING TO A HEAD AND NECK CLINIC

Lymphomas generally have a good prognosis compared with squamous carci nomas. The present study investigates a series of 185 lymphomas of the head and neck seen over a 30-year-period. The records of 236 patients were examined and the histology slides reviewed. The lymphomas were c lassified according to the working formulation method and staged using the Ann Arbor system. A total of 185 patients had a non-Hodgkin's lym phoma, of those 43 were low grade, nine intermediate and 103 high grad e. The histology slides of 30 patients were not available for review. In addition, 51 patients had Hodgkin's disease. One hundred and fifty patients were stage 1 or 2 and 74 stage 3 or 4. In 12 patients insuffi cient data was available for staging; 152 were extranodal and 84 nodal . The 5-year survival of those patients with Hodgkin's disease was 73% . For the patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma the 5-year survival was 43% for low grade and 48% for high grade lesions. The survival of pat ients with Hodgkin's disease was significantly better than for non-Hod gkin's lymphoma (P < 0.01). The 5-year survival of patients with extra nodal disease was 54% and for patients with nodal disease 65% (P = NS) . Treatment was by irradiation for localized lesions and by chemothera py or a combination for more advanced lesions. Lymphomas have a relati vely good prognosis in the head and neck as elsewhere in the body and every effort should be made to provide adequate diagnosis and treatmen t in combined clinics.