The role of radiation therapy in the treatment of pediatric non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Between 1971 and 1976, 64 patients less than 18 years of age with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated at Boston's Children's Hospital Medical Center-Joint Center for Radiation Therapy. A multimodality approach was used, consisting of radiation therapy (3500--4500 rad), surgery, and chemotherapy. Since 1973, all patients have received a regimen initially comprising Adriamycin, Prednisone, 6-Mercaptopurine, Vincristine, and L-Asparaginase. Methotrexate was substituted for Adriamycin following a cumulative total dose of 450 mg/m2. The 5-year actuarial survival for all patients was 61% while relapse-free survival was 54%. The actuarial and relapse-free survival for patients presenting with localized disease was 75% and 72%, respectively. Median follow-up was 40 months and all relapses occurred within 24 months of initial therapy. A multidisicplinary approach, such as the current regimen, offers a good prognosis for this disease.