Nasal and nasal-type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

Nasal and nasal-type natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphomas follow an aggressive course and have a poor prognosis. Recent pathologic studies suggest that the disease is a malignant proliferation of NK cells, which often express CD56. An association with the Epstein-Barr virus has also been reported. Skin involvement occurred in each of the 3 patients studied. Radiation therapy provided some benefit to the patients in the early stages. Conventional chemotherapies were not effective. To overcome this multiple-drug resistance of the tumor cells, cyclosporine and high-dose chemotherapy was combined with peripheral-blood stem-cell transplantation. The average life span from the onset of the disease for our patients was 9.6 months. Further improvement in the management of nasal and nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphomas is necessary.