Localized follicular lymphomas: prognosis and survival of stages I and II in a retrospective series of 103 patients.

From 1966 to 1985, 103 patients with a localized (stages I and II) follicular lymphoma (Kiel classification) were treated at the Fondation Bergonié. Clinical staging was performed using, after physical examination, chest X-rays (100%), bipedal lymphangiography (98%) and unilateral bone marrow biopsy (BMB) (51.5%). The patients were then treated by radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Overall survival (OS) at 5 and 10 years is 69 and 56.3%, respectively. Relapse-free survival (RFS) is 53.7 and 49%. Unifactorial analysis shows three prognostic parameters to be independently significant in terms of OS: age, stage and B symptoms. In terms of RFS, only 2 factors are significant: age and B symptoms. Multivariate analysis (Cox model) shows that age is a more important prognostic factor than stage.