Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Jamaica: a ten year experience - abstract

ABSTRACT

In the period January 1969 - July 1979, 235 cases of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) were seen at the University Hospital of the West Indies. Of these cases 95 were sufficiently documented to be available for study. There were 53 Males and 42 females among these patients. The median age at presentation was 47 years. Of the 95 patients, 6 (6 percent) were stage I or II at presentation while 89 (94 percent) presetned in stages III or IV. 76 of these cases (80 percent), were stage IV. A haemoglobin (Hb) concentration of less than 12 g/dl was noted in 44 patients (46 percent) when they were first admitted, with 15 (16 percent) having a haemoglobin value of less than 9 g/dl. The bone marrow was infiltrated in 38 of 72 patients (53 percent) who had this investigation done. The skin was involved with lymphoma in 20 patients (21 percent) and a leukaemic spill was seen in 18 patients (19 percent). Hypercalcaemia was present in 17 of 70 cases (24 percent) in whom this investigation was performed at first contact and a further 2 patients developed this complication during the course of their disease. Scabies was a presenting feature or developed during the illness in 8 (8.4 percent) patients. CNS infiltration was seen in only 2 patients (2.1 percent). Infections developed in 35 patients (37 percent) of which 29 were bacterial, 4 fungal and 2 unknown. Of 79 patients in whom it was documented, a complete remission was noted in 15 (19 percent), partial remission in 25 (32 percent) and no response to therapy was seen in 39 (49 percent) patients. Twenty-nine patients were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 66 patients. 57 had died during the period of study with a range of survival of 1 - 238 weeks from diagnosis. The median duration of survival was less than 20 weeks (AU)