Treatment outcome of nasal NK‑cell lymphoma: A report of 12 consecutively‑diagnosed cases and a review of the literature

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical courses of 12 consecutively‑diagnosed cases of localized nasal NK‑cell lymphoma. All patients revealed a phenotype of CD2＋CD3(Leu4‑cytoplasmic CD3e＋ CD5－CD45＋CD56＋. Nine patients were stage Iand three stage II. Seven patients were initially treated with an anthracycline‑containing regimen (Group 1. All but one patient failed to achieve a complete response(CRand died of lymphoma within six months of diagnosis. All patients with B symptoms and/ or an elevated serum LDH level in Group 1 died. The remaining five patients were treated first with radiotherapy(Group 2. After radiotherapytwo patients were treated with anthracycline‑containing regimens and one patient was treated with carboplatin etoposide ifosfamide and dexamethasone (DeVIC. Two patients were treated concurrently with radiotherapy and DeVIC (RT‑DeVIC:one showed B symptomsand both had high serum LDH levels. All five patients in Group 2 achieved CR and four patients are alive with no evidence of recurrence. Based on the present study and a review of the literatureradiotherapy followed by or combined with chemotherapy is highly recommended as the initial treatment modality for localized nasal NK‑cell lymphoma.