Pericardial and myocardial involvement by lymphomas and leukemias.The role of radiotherapy

Seven patients with cardiac involvement from lymphomas and leukemias who were treated with radiotherapy are presented. Two patients who had pericardial invasion from surrounding mediastinal nodes and whose disease was otherwise confined to the lymphatic system were treated radically. They are alive without evidence of disease at 2 years and one year, respectively. The remaining 5 were treated palliatively. Of these 5, 3 patients had excellent responses. Although significant palliation was not achieved in the other 2 patients because of the widespread nature of their disease, their pericardial effusions were controlled by the radiotherapy. It is felt that radiotherapy can prove valuable in the radical and palliative management of patients with cardiac involvement by lymphomas and leukemias.