Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma protocols in the treatment of patients with Burkitt's lymphoma and lymphoblastic lymphoma: A report on 58 patients

Lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) and Burkitt's lymphoma belong to the very aggr essive lymphomas requiring intensive therapy. We retrospectively analyzed 2 9 patients with Burkitt's lymphoma and 29 patients with LBL who received in duction therapy with a CHOP-Like lymphoma protocol. Patients with Burkitt's lymphoma (with a median age of 54.5 years) have a CR rate of 72% and a lym phoma free long-time survival of 55%. The International Prognostic Index wa s the most valuable prognostic factor for survival. Patients with LBL with a median age of 45 years had a CR rate of 55% and a lymphoma-free survival of 38%. Stage was the most predictive prognostic factor. Our data suggest that for older patients (>50) treatment with lymphoma prot ocols may yield response rates that are comparable to the results of patien ts with disseminated diffuse large cell lymphoma. Younger patients with ris k factors should be treated with more intensive therapy Like ALL-protocols. The role of auto-transplantation after high dose therapy (HDT) however as part of primary treatment still needs to be evaluated in clinical trials. O ne of four patients with LBL who received HDT and one of four patients with Burkitt's lymphoma who received HDT achieved long-term remission.