Adult non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Taiwan area: a clinicopathologic study of 123 cases based on working formulation classification.

To elucidate the clinicopathologic features of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in Taiwan, 123 adult patients with proven NHL were studied. They were classified according to the international working formulation as: low grade (LG), 12.2%; intermediate grade (IG), 42.3%; and high grade (HG) lymphoma, 45.5%. The most common subtypes were diffuse large cell (26.8%) and large cell immunoblastic (26.8%) lymphomas. Follicular lymphoma accounted for only 8.9% (11 cases). Complete remission rates for LG, IG and HG lymphomas were 53%, 35% and 34%, respectively. LG lymphoma had a significantly better survival than that of IG and HG lymphomas. The IG lymphoma encompassed a heterogeneous group of patients with varying prognoses but the overall survival curve was indistinguishable from that of HG lymphoma. Clinically, 66% of HG, 77% of IG and 86% of LG lymphoma presented with advanced disease. LG lymphoma had high frequencies of hepatosplenomegaly (30-50%) and bone marrow involvement (53%), whereas skin, bone and central nervous system involvement occurred exclusively in IG and HG lymphomas. Mild anemia was common and occurred in 40-50% of the patients. Hyperimmunoglobulinemia was found in 50-60% of all 3 grades of lymphoma, monoclonal gammopathy in 3 cases of IG lymphoma, and hypercalcemia in 4 cases of IG and HG lymphomas. Elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase occurred mainly in IG and HG lymphomas and was an important prognostic factor. In conclusion, the characteristic features of NHL in Taiwan include: (1) a high proportion of HG lymphoma and low proportions of LG and follicular lymphomas; (2) a heterogeneous patient composition of IG lymphoma with an unfavorable overall prognosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)