OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of different regimens in Chinese patients with lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL).

METHODSForty-three patients with LBL were retrospectively analysed, of which 30 were T-LBL, and 13 B-LBL.

RESULTS(1) Most patients were young men with a median age of 21, and 63.0% of the T-LBL patients had mediastinal masses. (2) Treatment outcome could be assessed in 37 cases, of which the response rate (RR) was 81.1% and complete remission (CR) rate was 67.6%. The RR and CR rates in patients treated with regimens for ALL (ALL-like group) and those treated with regimens for NHL (NHL-like group) were 94.4%, 68.4% and 83.3%, 52.6%, respectively. (3) The estimated median overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) group were significant longer than those of ALL-like group (P=0.018, P=0.025) and NHL-like group (P=0.016, P=0.011). The OS at 5 years in NHL-like group, ALL-like group and HSCT group were (14.4+/-9.4)%, (20.2+/-12.7)% and (79.5+/-13.1 )%, respectively.

CONCLUSION(1) LBL is more common in young men, with less involvement of peripheral blood. Compared with B-LBL, T-LBL often has a mediastinal mass and serious cavity effusion. (2) Intensive treatment regimens for ALL should be used in LBL. HSCT at CR1 can improve outcome obviously.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult