Abstract
Nineteen patients with primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the thyroid were reviewed. Thirteen patiens had stage I E disease and five had II E and one had III E. All cases received radiotherapy over 40Gy combined with chemotherapy; either CHOP or modified one. The overall 5-year survival rate for the patients was 100% and disease free 5-year survival rate was 86.2%. Two of ten cases who were treated with involoed field irradiation relapsed on the margin of the field. So, extended field is recommended even in the case with intense chemotherapy. Relapse within a year or under the diaphragma was not experienced. This regimen was well tolerable and led good results, but eight cases (42.1%) showed hypothyroidism from 6 months to 4 year after radiotherapy. Continuous reevaluation of thyroid function including serum TSH is nescessary for the patients undergoing neck irradiation for treatment of lymphoma of the thyroid.
