Follicular lymphoma: prognostic factors for response and survival.

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Abstract
One hundred forty-eight patients with newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma were treated over a 12-year period. Twenty-two patients received radiotherapy for stage I and II disease, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy in 14 patients. One hundred thirteen were treated at presentation with short courses of chemotherapy, most often with single-agent chlorambucil for bulky stage II and stages III and IV disease. Thirteen patients were managed expectantly until there was evidence of disease progression. The median survival was 9 years. Patients treated with radiotherapy for stage I and II disease had an 83% relapse-free survival, but those with bulky stage II or stages III and IV disease treated with chemotherapy pursued a remitting and relapsing course with a 70% response rate at initial and subsequent retreatments, but a median duration of remission of 4 years in stage III and 1 year in stage IV disease (P = .041). Patients were observed in relapse and retreatment was administered as appropriate, once every 33 m...