Combined modality treatment is the treatment of choice for stage I/IE intermediate and high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In a retrospective study, the efficacy of radiotherapy alone was compared with combined modality treatment in patients with stage I/IE non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1980 and 1994, 296 patients with stage I/IE non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of intermediate or high grade malignancy (according to the Working Formulation) were treated in four different institutions. All patients were included except patients that presented with NHLs localized in the central nervous system, testis or skin. Two hundred two patients were treated with radiation therapy alone and 94 patients were treated with combined modality treatment. RESULTS: Increasing age and radiation as a single treatment (versus combined modality treatment) were highly significant adverse prognostic factors by multivariate analysis. The actuarial 10-year rates for progression-free and overall survival were 83 and 70%, respectively, for the patients treated with combined modality treatment and 47 and 43%, respectively, for the patients treated with radiation therapy alone. CONCLUSION: Combined modality treatment is the treatment of choice for patients with stage I/IE intermediate and high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.