[Malignant lymphomas--a showpiece?].

Abstract

In the last 10-20 years the treatment of malignant lymphoma, and especially Hodgkin's lymphoma, has afforded a good example of the way in which concerted efforts by pathologists, immunologists and oncologists have produced step-by-step progress and recently even cures. The approach to and conditions for cure are histopathologic typing, exact staging and a therapy plan based on prognostic factors. Difficulties arise through non-uniform histopathologic classification of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In Hodgkin patients the rate of cure after radiotherapy is about 90% in locoregional stages and still over 60% in more advanced stages. Among patients with stage I non-Hodgkin lymphoma a large proportion are also curable. In the more advanced stages only the histiocytic subtype can be cured, with a cure rate above 40%. Before the introduction of effective chemotherapeutic regimes patients with this type of lymphoma died within a few months. Finally, the potential for improving future results is discussed.