Treatment Results of 54 American Patients with Burkitt's Lymphoma Are Similar to the African Experience

Abstract

Burkitt's lymphoma in Africa may be curable by chemotherapy alone; in nonendemic regions results are reportedly less favorable. Fifty-four Americans with Burkitt's lymphoma were treated with two sequential combined treatment regimens that incorporated therapeutic approaches from clinical trials in Africa. Four patients died during induction therapy, and 48 of the remaining 50 achieved complete remissions. Twenty-two relapsed at a median of three months from the start of therapy. The overall two-year actuarial survival was 54 per cent: younger patients (<12 years old) and patients with minimal tumor burden (stages A, B and AR) had significantly better survivals than older patients (P<0.02) and patients with advanced abdominal tumors (stages C and D) (P<0.01). No differences in survival were detected between patients treated at the National Institutes of Health and those treated in their regional institutions on either protocol. Complete response rates, relapse frequency and survival in American patients are similar to results in Africa. (N Engl J Med 297:75–80, 1977)