[Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: correlation of cell surface marker phenotype with clinical features and prognosis]

The correlation of surface marker phenotype with prognosis was analysed in 64 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who had been treated in Shikoku Cancer Center Hospital. B-cell lymphomas (21 cases) had significantly better prognosis than T-cell lymphomas (21 cases). The complete remission (CR) rate was 52%, and the 50% survival time was 13 months for T-cell lymphomas. All T-cell lymphoma patients died within 31 months. In B-cell lymphomas, on the other hand, the CR rate was 100%, 50% survival time was 30 months, and there were no cases of relapse in patients who had been in continuous CR for more than 2 years. About 40% of B-cell lymphomas appeared to have the potential for cure.