Favorable outcome with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy for adult patients with early stage primary systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes in adult patients with early stage systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) treated with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Forty-six adult patients with early stage systemic ALCL received chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. All patients except two received chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) or a CHOP-like regimen. Twenty patients had stage I disease, and 26 patients had stage II disease. The 5-yr overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and local control rates for all patients were 84.4%, 63.6%, and 90.8%, respectively. The 5-yr OS and PFS rates were 95.0% and 77.4% for Ann Arbor stage I disease, and 75.1% and 51.7% for stage II disease, respectively. Lymph node involvement was the main pattern of disease progression or relapse for these patients. Adult patients with early stage systemic ALCL treated with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy had a favorable prognosis.