High-grade Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Treated in Northern Norway: Treatment, Outcome, and Prognostic Factors

Abstract

In an unselected group of patients with high-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HG-NHL) treated at our institution during a 10-yearperiod (1986 – 1995), we studied treatment outcome and influence of possible prognostic factors. 187 HG-NHL patients were analysedretrospectively with regard to personal, treatment and disease-specific characteristics. Median age was 65 years and the male : female ratiowas 1.2 : 1. Over a median follow-up of 57 months the overall response rate was 87% (complete response 72%, partial response 15%). The2- and 5-year cumulative disease-specific survival rates were 6494% (mean9SEM) and 4895%, respectively. In a univariate analysis,the following variables were associated with prognosis in terms of survival: Patient age, clinical stage, performance status, bone-marrowinfiltration, haemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and serum albumin. In multivariate analyses,patient age, performance status, LDH, and haemoglobin came out as independent prognostic factors for survival.