Non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma of the sinonasal tract - treatment outcome for 53 patients according to REAL classification

Objective: Although the Working Formulation is commonly used to classify NH L in Japan, it has been recognized as imperfect for primary extranodal lymp homa, especially for patients with sinonasal disease because of their histo logical characteristics. The present study investigated the clinical charac teristics and the prognosis of sinonasal lymphomas according to REAL classi fication. Methods: Fifty-three patients with non-Hodgkin's malignant lympho ma (NHL) of the sinonasal tract were treated between 1981 and 1997. The age at clinical presentation was from 10 to 84 years (mean, 52.4 years). Accor ding to the Ann Arbor system, there were 30 patients with Stage IE, 13 with Stage IIE, 4 with Stage IIIE, and 6 with Stage IVE lymphomas. Twenty-two p atients (41.5%) had B symptoms. The primary sites were the nasal cavity (67 .8%), maxillary sinus (20.8%), ethmoidal sinus (9.4%), and frontal sinus (1 .9%). The survival data was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. Statistical analysis was performed with a generalized Wilcoxon method. Results: All of the lymphomas showed a diffuse growth pattern. Based on the origin of the t umor cells, the authors classified NHL of the sinonasal tract into five gro ups with the REAL classification of Japan: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (2 2.6%), peripheral T-cell lymphomas (15.1%), anglocentric lymphoma (35.9%), other lymphomas and unclassified types. Of 53 patients, 39 (73.6%) received chemotherapy and radiotherapy, eight patients received chemotherapy alone, and four patients received radiotherapy alone. The cumulative 5-year survi val rates were 28.5% for all of the types, 55.0% for diffuse large B-cell l ymphoma, 33.3% for peripheral T-cell lymphoma, and 19.7% for angiocentric l ymphoma. Results suggest that conventional combined treatment (CHOP chemoth erapy + radiotherapy) is ineffective for NHL of the sinonasal tract, and es pecially so for NHL in the nasal cavity, NHL with tumor cells with positive T-cell markers, NHL further than Stage IIE and NHL with B symptoms. Conclu sion: (1) In light of this ineffectiveness, new therapies must be developed to improve patient outcome in stead of the conventional combined treatment , (2) REAL classification is clear and useful for sinonasal lymphomas in Ja pan. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.