Adjuvant low dose radiation in childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (report from the United Kingdom Childrens' Cancer Study Group--UKCCSG)

Abstract

From July 1977 to July 1983, 120 children with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma entered a randomised trial of combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The primary site was abdominal in 42 patients, mediastinal in 27 and in other sites in 51. Failure-free survival (FFS) at 4 years was 74% for the 41 patients with localised disease (Stages I and II) and 51% for the 79 with generalised disease (Stages III and IV). Patients with mediastinal primaries continued to relapse after the completion of 2 years' treatment, but FFS at 4 years for the 93 patients with non-mediastinal primaries was 65% for all stages combined. In the latter group, there was no benefit to patients randomised at the end of induction chemotherapy to receive adjuvant radiation 15 Grays in 10 fractions in 2 weeks to sites of previous bulky disease when compared to those not receiving such radiation (P = 0.6).

Stage III abdominal non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma in costa rican children: Comparison of two consecutive trials of treatment

“…Failure to respond to treatment (5.5%), toxicity (5.5%), CNS and local relapse (5.5%), and infections (4%) were the main causes of death in the 73 patients, as was found in other reported studies [10,11,21]. Toxic deaths were reduced from 9% in G-A to 0% in G-B after modifications to supportive care and changing ADRIA for epirubicin.…”

“…The response to less aggressive chemotherapy and the survival rates of the stage 111 cases are better than in countries in the north hemisphere [7,9,10]. Conversely, in the United States and Europe, abdominal localization is found only in 35 to 50% and usually in children aged 8 years or older [4,11] and the response to moderately intensive chemotherapy schedules is poor [6,12]. The reasons for these differences are unknown, although they may indicate that the biology of NHL in Latin American children may be affected by factors such as the interplay between the environment and the host which do not apply in developed countries.…”

“…Laboratory tests included a complete blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, liver and kidney function tests, serum electrolytes, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and uric acid levels. On the basis of these pretreatment studies the disease was staged according to Murphy's[13] criteria: 12 had stage (S)11, 8 had S-IV, and 73 had S-I11 disease. This report is limited to the 73 patients with S-111 ANHL.…”

Effective multi‐agent chemotherapy for advanced abdominal lymphoma and FAB L3 leukemia of childhood

“…The majority of relapses tend to occur in the first six to eight months and the benefits of shorter therapy are obvious. A UKCCSG study [24] using an LSA2-L2 like regimen in which therapy was given over two to three years, reported considerable morbidity from prolonged immuno-and myelo-suppression. Of even greater concern is the 7.8% incidence of second primary tumours at seven years [25].…”

Burkitt-like lymphoma in an English child: Characterisation of tumour biopsy cells and of the derived tumour cell line

“…The patient was treated according to a modification of the UKCCSG NHL protocol (Mott et al, 1984). There was dramatic regression of the disease within hours of initiation of the treatment.…”