Today's treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are a heterogeneous group of lymphoid malignancies with different histology, clinical presentation, prognosis and response to therapy. The choice of the best therapeutic regimen is difficult and has to be settled according to the histology and the extent of the disease. All major histopathological classifications divide NHL into two groups, one with a long history (low grade malignancy, favourable histology, indolent) and those with a short history (high grade malignancy, unfavourable histology). We shall survey the modern treatment for both groups, the role of maintenance therapy and the problems arising during therapy and relapses, and mention some new drugs which appear promising in the treatment of lymphomas. Finally, a short outline of future prospects will be presented.