[Adjuvant chemotherapy for stage I and II non-Hodgkin's lymphoma--a seven-year follow up].

From 1975 to 1983, 51 patients of stage I (30) and II (21) of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated with a combination chemotherapy consisting of vincristine, cyclophosphamide and prednisolone as an adjuvant therapy after radiation or operation. The following results were obtained. 1) Nine patients in stage I and 7 in stage II relapsed, so that 10 year-relapse free survival rates were 68% in stage I and 67% in stage II, respectively. 2) Three patients in nodal lymphomas, 7 in Waldeyer's ring lymphomas and 6 in extranodal lymphomas relapsed, so that 10 year-relapse free survival rates were 80%, 48% and 72%, respectively. 3) Ten year-survival rates were 86% in stage I and 70% in stage II. 4) Ten year-survival rates were 82% in nodal lymphomas, 62% in Waldeyer's ring lymphomas and 86% in extranodal lymphomas. 5) Ten patients relapsed within 1 year, 4 between 1-5 years and 2 after 5 years. Relapses occurred in other than primary sites in most patients. These results suggest that an adjuvant chemotherapy is useful for localized non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but more intensive chemotherapy before local treatments is necessary.