Treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Mexican children. The effectiveness of chemotherapy during malnutrition.

The histological diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (Burkitt's lymphoma excluded) in 147 children was reviewed. The most common site of presentation was in the abdomen (32.6%). The most frequent site of metastatic disease at diagnosis was the bone marrow (27.2%). The most common histology was diffuse undifferentiated non-Burkitt type (37.4%). According to the Murphy staging system, 40.1% were stage III and 27.2% were stage IV. In a nonrandomized prospective study, 121 patients were submitted to a treatment regimen (protocol 8001) and compared with 26 historical controls treated with the COP regimen, consisting of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone. Of those patients treated with protocol 8001, nine had intestinal perforation at the site of primary disease. All patients in this group were malnourished at the time of perforation. The overall rate of initial complete remission in those patients treated with protocol 8001 was 90.7%. The duration of remission was from 16 to 108 months, with a median of 39 months. The actuarial rate of disease-free survival was 69% at 2 years and 63% at 6 years, compared with 36% at 6 years of the control group (COP) (p less than 0.01). None of the patients have relapsed after 4 years.