Irradiation in the local control of malignant lymphoreticular tumors (non Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma)

A retrospective study was undertaken of previously untreated patients with lymphosarcoma, reticulum cell sarcoma, and giant follicular lymphoma seen at Walter Reed General Hospital from 1949 through 1970. The original slides were reviewed and assigned the current histopathologic classifications (Rappaport) without prior knowledge of the clinical course of the disease. Of the 131 patients who were irradiated to 273 tumor containing areas, failure of local control was infrequent. Modest total doses controlled tumors with a nodular histologic pattern. Those with a diffuse pattern required somewhat higher doses. Recurrence seems related more to location of the disease than to cytologic distinctions. Classical time dose concepts have limited applicability to these tumors. A threshold dose is suggested by the data for these and perhaps other very radiosensitive neoplasms.