Clinical presentation and treatment outcome of children with Burkitt lymphoma in Lebanon: a single institution's experience.

The authors reviewed the medical records of 42 children younger than 13 years of age diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma at the American University of Beirut Medical Center between 1983 and 1993. The male:female ratio was 3.9. The abdomen was the most common site of disease (86%). Jaw, central nervous system, and bone marrow involvement occurred in 16.6%, 16.6%, and 9.5%, respectively. The mean LDH level was 447 U/L. The mean age at diagnosis was 6.9 years. Thirty-nine patients received a variation of the COMP protocol. The total duration of treatment ranged from 6 to 18 months. At a median follow-up of 5 years the event-free survival was 100% for children with stages I and II disease, 77.4% (+/- 2 SE) for stage III, and 0% for stage IV. Failures in stage III patients were due to tumor lysis (3/24) and progressive disease (2/24). Aggressive therapy with high doses of methotrexate and anthracyclines may not be necessary for the treatment of children with extensive abdominal disease (stage III) in Lebanon. If confirmed in a larger series of patients, this study could have a major impact on the treatment of Burkitt lymphoma in Lebanon and other countries with limited resources.