Onkológia 2/2008

TREATMENT STRATEGIES FOR CHILDHOOD NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas in childhood are almost exclusively from the group of high- grade lymphomas and according to WHO classification there are four main subgroups: lymphoblastic lymhoma, Burkitt lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymhoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma. The group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in childhood belong to the malingancies with overall highest survival at all. The keystone of the therapy is combined chemotherapy according to protocols without radiotherapy. Regarding the biology different individual subtypes require different treatment modalities. The usual treatment approach for lymphoblastic lymhoma is similar or identical to that for ALL, the therapy of mature B-NHL and ALCL consists of risk-addapted, repeat cycles short-term, but very intensive chemotherapy. Relapses are of very unfavorable prognosis and this is the reason for the megachemotherapy and successive stem cell transplantation on front-line therapy in high risk patients. New treatment modalities as target therapy with monoclonal antibodies are of interest in childhood, too.

Keywords: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, childhood, therapy