From Jan. 1983 to Aug. 1986, 12 children with NHL were treated with new protocol including high-dose Ara-C (group B). The results of treatment was compared with that of 16 patients who were treated from 1976 to 1982 (group A). As concerns primary sites of the patients in both groups, mediastinal origin was 6 in each group, and abdominal lymph-node was 5 in group A and 1 in group B. By the Murphy's staging, the patients in stage III and IV were 13 in group A and 8 in group B.
Intitial complete remission rates in group A and B were 56.2% and 91.7%, respectively. Two-year-survival rate in group A was 37.5%, while 80.8% in group B. In the patients whose primary sites were mediastinal or abdominal lymph-node, two-year-survival rate in group A was 18.2%, and 83.3% in group B. Imvolvements of CNS during the treatment were found in 6 patiets of group A, whereas only 2 in group B.
These results suggest that our new protocol for advanced NHL seems to be quite useful for increasing survival rate and preventing CNS relapse. Moreover, it is considered that this protocol is especially useful for NHL with mediastinal origin.
