Primary lymphomas of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses

Extranodal lymphomas which present in the nasal cavity and/or the paranasal sinuses are rare. Thirty-eight patients with disease that was clinically limited to the head and neck (Ann Arbor Stages IE-IIE) were admitted between 1947 and 1983. Twenty-eight patients were treated with radiotherapy alone and 10 received combination chemotherapy in addition. The overall 5-year survival figure was 56%. The corresponding result for Stage IE was 67%. No patient with Stage IIE disease survived 5 years. Extent of the extranodal disease also influenced results for Stage IE patients who were treated with radiotherapy only. When the extranodal disease was staged using the American Joint Committee TNM system, the 5-year disease-free survival for T1 and T2 patients was 78% as compared with 19% for patients with T3 and T4 disease. The addition of combination chemotherapy improved results for patients with T3 and T4 lesions.