Clinical significance of histologic (Kiel) classification combined with immunologic definition of malignant lymphoma.

An actuarial survival (Kaplan and Meier) and complete remission (CR) rate were studied in 106 patients with malignant lymphoma (ML) in whom the histologic diagnosis (Kiel) was combined with the results of immunologic and cytochemical definition of tumor cells. There were 62 low grade (LG) and 44 high grade (HG) ML. Non-B cell malignancies constituted 42% of LG and 29.5% of HG tumors. Prognosis appeared to be related to the histological grade of malignancy and--only within the HG ML group--to the immunologic characteristics of tumor cells. The probability of 3-year survival of patients with HG B cell malignancies was 42%, with U cell tumors 25% and with T cell ML 11%. CR rate was 42% in B cell and 23% in non B cell HG ML. Immunological typing appears to be especially important in HG ML.