Non‐Hodgkin's Lymphomas in Turkey: Eighteen Years’Experience at the Hacettepe University

Abstract

In this retrospective study, 470 patients with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who had been followed in the Hacettepe University Medical Oncology Department between 1973 and 1990, were evaluated to establish their epidemiologic, clinical and therapeutic characteristics. Out of 470 patients, 302 (62.2%) were male and 168 (37.8%) were female. The ages ranged from 16 to 85, with a median of 44 years. Constitutional symptoms were present in 46.4% of the patients. According to the Working Formulation, low, intermediate, and high‐grade lymphomas comprised 33.4%, 54.9%, and 12.7%, respectively. The most common extranodal presentation was gastrointestinal. The chemotherapy regimens most commonly used were CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone), BCNOP (bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone, vincristine, prednisone), CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) and CHOP‐Bleo (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, bleomycin). The response rates and the survival figures attained with these regimens were not statistically significantly different (P > 0.05). In the Cox multivariate model, pathologic grade, leukopenia, responsiveness to chemotherapy, bone marrow involvement and age were the important factors influencing the disease‐free survival, while responsiveness to chemotherapy, age, presence of constitutional symptoms, pathologic grade, extranodal presentation and stage were the important factors influencing the overall survival. The distribution of NHL according to grade and stage was similar to that in western societies, while constitutional symptoms and lymphomas of the small intestine including immunoproliferative small intestinal disease were more common in Turkey.

Primary Breast Lymphoma with Unconventional Presentation: A Case Report

“…Although secondary involvement of the breast during the course of lymphomas is not uncommon, the breast is rarely a primary site for lymphomas [13]. The incidence is high between 9 and 85 years, with the maximum frequency in the sixth decade [2].…”

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Pesticide Exposure in Turkey

“…Various viral and environmental factors are held responsible for the development of NHL (Barista et al, 1994;Paydas et al, 2004). Spinelli et al investigated the relationship between the serum organochlorine levels and NHL.…”

Primary Breast Lymphomas: A Retrospective Analysis of Twelve Cases

“…Since extranodal presentation is more common in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) than Hodgkin's disease (HD), NHLs comprise the majority of PBLs. In our previous series of 470 patients with NHLs, PBLs were diagnosed in 6 patients (1.3%), and 6 of 192 patients (3.1%) with extranodal presentation had the breast as the primary site (7).…”