Stage I high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

We report long-term survival and prognostic factors in 252 patients with st age I high-grade lymphoma. Median patient age was 64 years and 49% of patie nts had extranodal lymphoma. Premenopausal women had less risk of extranoda l lymphoma than older women or males (p < 0.002). Disease specific 5 and 15 years' survival in patients < 64 years was 83% and 76%, respectively; comp ared to 54% and 46% in patients > 64 years of age. Age, non-centroblastic h istology, B-symptoms, and increased serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were independently negative prognostic factors (p < 0.01), while extranodal, tes ticular, or bulky (> 6 cm) lymphoma presentation were of no prognostic sign ificance. A radiation dose of 40 Gy in 2 Gy fractions to the primary site p revented in-field relapse in 159 of 173 irradiated patients (92%) and only three of 173 patients (1.7%) had local relapse in the absence of systemic d issemination.