Diagnostics and therapy of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in childhood

Many changes have taken place in the diagnosis and treatment of non-Hodgkin-lymphomas in childhood during the last years. From 1979 to 1982, the Working Group for Paediatric Haematology, Oncology and Immunology of the GDR treated 50 children with NHL according to the LSA2L2-protocol in a multicentric study. The Kiel-classification was applied for histological diagnosis. Main localizations were the mediastinum and abdomen. The treatment resulted in a complete continuous remission of 65% (Stages I and II: 87%, Stages III and IV: 53%) for all patients, independently of the stage. Patients with extranodal tumours and wide-spread abdominal disease had a very bad prognosis with this protocol.