OBJECTIVETo summarize long-term outcomes of childhood lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) with protocol CCCG-97 and -2002.

METHODSFrom November 1998 to October 2010, 70 consecutive newly diagnosed childhood LBL (5 B-LBL and 65 T-LBL) were enrolled in this study, in which 22 received CCCG-97 and 48 CCCG-2002 protocols. St.Jude staging system was adopted. Patients were divided into three risk groups based on clinical stage and serum LDH, and received chemotherapy with different intensity. The factors, which were possibly associated with the prognosis, were analyzed. The survival rates were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTSThe patients were 1.5 to 14 years old with the median age of 8 years old. They were evaluated as stage I-II for 6 , stage III41, and stage IV23 (15 were BM positive and 8 multiple bone metastases). Until Dec.31th, 2011,the mean follow-up was 62.5 months (range, 14 to 161 months) with the median follow-up of 48 months. 1-year overall survival (OS) was 74.3%, and 5- year event-free survival (EFS) 64.1% (abundance as event). Thirteen patients were complicated with serious condition during chemotherapy and 1 died of complication. Univariate analysis indicated that delayed and/or non-completed response on days 33 and 63 of induction was the unfavorable prognostic factor.

CONCLUSIONPrimary LBL usually located in the mediastinum. 90% of the patients was at advanced stage III-IV at first presentation. The 5-year EFS was 64.1%. Patients not achieved CR at days 33 and 63 at the end of induction was a poor prognostic factor.