Clinical Staging and Treatment of Lymphosarcoma and Reticulum Cell Sarcoma

Long-term Results of Chemotherapy in 106 Cases of Lymphosarcoma and Reticulum Cell Sarcoma

The survival rate of 106 cases of advanced lymphosarcoma and reticulum cell sarcoma that had received chemotherapy, with or without radiotherapy, between 1951 and 1962 is reported. The course of both diseases was initially highly malignant, with a median survival of 20 months for lymphosarcoma and 6 months for reticulum cell sarcoma. Cases surviving for over 3 years, however, have a good chance of long survival. Male sex and an age of under 40 (there were no cases of under 13 in our series) seem to be favorable prognostic factors. A long pre-treatment interval is favorable for lymphosarcoma and adverse for reticulum cell sarcoma. The clinical stage (3 or 4 according to the classification of Banfi et al.) does not significantly affect the prognosis of lymphosarcoma whereas in reticulum cell sarcoma survival is strongly correlated with clinical stage. Chemotherapy (with alkylating agents) yielded a 5-year survival rate of 20.8% in lymphosarcoma; with radiotherapy the rate rose to 32.3%. In reticulum cell sarcoma the 5-year survival rate was 20% for chemotherapy alone and 14.2% for chemotherapy in association with radiotherapy. Our data seem to confirm the usefulness of chemotherapy, with or without radiotherapy, in diffuse forms of lymphosarcoma and reticulum cell sarcoma, especially with regard to long-term survival.

Results of Radiotherapy in 144 Cases of Lymphosarcoma and Reticulum Cell Sarcoma with Primary Onset in the Pharynx

351 patients with lymphosarcoma and reticulum cell sarcoma (104 and 247 respectively) were given radiotherapy at the National Cancer Institute and at the Institute of Radiology, University of Milan between 1950 and 1961. 144 patients had primary onset in Waldeyer's ring (34 lmphosarcomas and 120 reticulum cell sarcomas). The high incidence of primary involvement of Waldeyer's ring in our case material, especially in reticulum cell sarcoma (48.5%), is definitely higher than usually reported in the literature and hence the interest of our study from the epidemiological, prognostic as well as therapeutic point of wiew. The sites more frequently involved were the nasopharynx and the pharyngeal tonsil. In the majority of cases the disease was locally advanced; in about 80% of cases the cervical or distant lymph nodes were involved. The results of our study represented in a series of graphs showing the actuarial survivals demonstrate that there is practically no significant difference between lymphosarcoma and reticulum cell sarcoma. The overall survival was 38.9, 32.5, and 23.3% after 3, 5 and 10 years respectively from the beginning of treatment with a median survival of 18 months. Considering the tissue-dose administered there is a clear difference in survival time between the group of patients adequately and inadequately treated (42% and 18% respectively at 5 years). Finally no significant differences in terms of overall survival were observed in reticulum cell sarcoma with primary onset in Waldeyer's ring and in lymph nodes and spleen.

Preferential Sites and Mode of Spread of Hodgkin's Disease and Lymphoreticular Sarcomas on the Basis of Clinical Evaluation of 500 Cases

The preferential sites and mode of spread in 500 consecutive untreated patients with malignant lymphomas (200 Hodgkin's diseases, 150 lymphosarcomas and 150 reticulum cell sarcomas) have been studied. After a detailed diagnosis all patients with primary involvement of lymph nodes and spleen were staged according to the international four-stage clinical classification proposed at Rye in 1965. The lymphoreticular sarcomas with primary onset in Waldeyer's ring were staged according to the T.N.M. classification as modified in Milano by the National Cancer Institute in 1965. Patients with involvement of viscera or tissues without apparent disease in the lymph nodes, spleen or pharynx were listed separately. Primary involvement in Hodgkin's disease was confined in 99.5 % to lymph nodes and spleen. In lymphosarcoma and in reticulum cell sarcoma there was a high primary involvement of Waldeyer's ring (20 % and 53 % respectively) and in other extranodal sites (11–12%). Besides the cervical regions the distribution of lymph node involvement in Hodgkin's disease was predominantly in the mediastinum (20%) and in the paraaortic area (20%), while in lymphoreticular sarcomas mainly in the axillary (16%), iliac (23%) and inguinal (17%) regions. In the lymphoreticular sarcomas with primary onset in Waldeyer's ring the disease on first admission was limited to the pharynx and to the neek nodes in 73 % of cases. Study of the mode of spread showed that in untreated Hodgkin's disease the number of cases with contiguous involvement was 66 % while in lymphoreticular sarcomas it was only 35 %. Further, after localized radiation therapy Hodgkin's disease has a higher (72%) tendency to recur in adjacent lymphoid regions than lymphoreticular sarcomas with primary involvement in nodes and spleen (45%). The therapeutic implications of this study are discussed. The most important conclusion is that prophylactic irradiation should be given to localized Hodgkin's disease and not to lymphoreticular sarcomas with the exception of those arising in Waldeyer's ring.

Endolymphatic radiotherapy in malignant lymphomas. A clinical evaluation of 285 patients

The authors report treatment of inguinal and retroperitoneal lymph nodes of 285 malignant lymphomas (143 Hodgkin's disease and 142 lymphoreticular sarcomas) with Lipiodol Fluide 131I (endolymphatic radiotherapy). From 1961 to 1966 the radioactive contrast material was injected in doses ranging from 0.2 to 2.5 mc/cc (10 cc each foot). Adequately opacified nodes responded promptly with marked and progressive reduction in size. When indicated, a second administration of Lipiodol 131I in a dose of 2.5 mc/cc was always feasible. Several factors prevented a homogeneous and satisfactory distribution of radioactive contrast material throughout the iliac and the para-aortic nodes in one third of the cases. Therefore, in many instances patients had to be treated with external radiation therapy. Histopathologic examination of lymph nodes removed at exploratory laparotomy (four cases) or at autopsy (ten cases) confirmed that Lipiodol 131I did not fill all the iliac and para-aortic nodes and that destruction of lymphomatous tissue was often incomplete. Recurrences were seen mostly in abnormal adequately filled nodes opacified with high doses of Lipiodol 131I. In Hodgkin's disease they occurred particularly in the para-aortic area and in lymphoreticular sarcomas in the inguinal and iliac chains. Side effects were minimal. They included amenorrhea, pulmonary insufficiency, hepatic failure and hemolytic anemia. Clinical and histologic signs of pulmonary and hepatic fibrosis were not seen. The authors conclude that endolymphatic radiotherapy should not be considered as a radical treatment for retroperitoneal adenopathies in malignant lymphomas and that its role as a prophylactic therapeutic tool deserves more extensive long-term studies.