Treatment of a clinically determined lower-risk stage III non-lymphoblastic Non-Hodgkin lymphoma with less intensive therapy does not impact negatively on outcome.

Stage III NHL was divided into lower-risk (LR) or high-risk (HR) groups. Results of treatment were retrospectively reviewed for patients between 1993 through 2000. An intensive multiagent protocol was used for IIIHR, and a CHOP-based, milder treatment for IIILR. Most LR therapy was outpatient, while treatment for HR patients was primarily inpatient. Five year EFS and OS for HR (n = 29) and LR (n = 23) groups was 86.2% and 95.6% (P = 0.26), and 93.1% and 100%, respectively (P = 0.4). LR had less toxicity. While these results need prospective confirmation, the data shows that less intensive therapy of a LR group of stage III NHL may not impact negatively on outcome.