[Advances of treatment for extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma --- review]

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma is a rare pathological type, incidence of which is 2% - 10% of the primary NHL cases, showing a broad morphologic spectrum with frequent necrosis. Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma occurs more frequently in Asian population, especially in Southern China and Southeast Asian population. It is reported that the incidence of ENKL among lymphomas (1314 cases) in Asian countries was 4 times as much as the Western countries (22% vs. 5%) by the International Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma Project. Nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma most commonly occurred in the nasal cavity or other parts of the upper aerodigestive tract, and is highly associated with EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) infection, which is highly aggressive and its prognosis generally is poor. The mean survival time is about 12-38 months. It is important to accurately assess the patients prognosis for an optimal treatment. Localized disease (stage I and II) often has a relatively good prognosis through local radiation or combined therapy. There is a paucity of data to guide therapy in advanced disease. Generally, combining therapy is the most commonly selected approach for advanced disease. The conditions of the patients with advanced, relapsed or refractory diseases have been improved by high-intensity chemotherapy combined with radiation, and a regimen containing L-asparaginase L-Asp. Recently some studies have demonstrated promising outcomes in the selected cases by high-dose chemotherapy supplemented with auto-or allo-HSCT. Targeting therapy is also developing quickly. This current review mainly focuses on the advance of treatment for extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma.