Radiation therapy in primary orbital lymphoma: a single institution retrospective analysis

• Published in: Radiation oncology (London, England) England), 2009-12, Vol.4 (1), p.60-60, Article 60
• Main Authors: De Cicco, Luigi, Cella, Laura, Liuzzi, Raffaele, Solla, Raffaele, Farella, Antonio, Punzo, Giorgio, Tranfa, Fausto, Strianese, Diego, Conson, Manuel, Bonavolontà, Giulio, Salvatore, Marco, Pacelli, Roberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - mortality; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - pathology; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - radiotherapy; Male; Neoplasm Staging; Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas; Orbital Neoplasms - mortality; Orbital Neoplasms - pathology; Orbital Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Radiotherapy; Radiotherapy - adverse effects; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1748-717X; 1748-717X
• DOI: 10.1186/1748-717X-4-60

Primary orbital lymphoma is a rare disease that accounts for 10% of all orbital tumors. Radiotherapy on the orbital cavity is the treatment of choice for this unusual presentation of localized non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness and the toxicity of radiation treatment in patients with primary orbital lymphoma. Forty-seven consecutive patients having primary orbital lymphoma treated in our department between May 1983 and September 2006 were investigated in a retrospective study. Either 60Co gamma rays or 6 MV X rays were used to deliver daily fractions of 1.8 or 2.0 Gy, 5 times/week, with total doses ranging from 34.2 to 50 Gy. Forty-three patients had stage IE, three had stage II and one stage IV disease. Thirty-eight patients had marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, 5 diffuse large B cell lymphoma, 3 mantle cell lymphoma and 1 Burkitt lymphoma. Local control (LC), disease free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and late side effects were evaluated in all patients. With a median follow up of 45 months, LC was obtained in 100% of patients. The estimated 5- and 7-year DFS rates were 75.8% and 55.3%, and the 5- and 7-year OS rates were 88.7% and 79.9% respectively. Acute toxicity was minimal. Late toxicity such as cataract, keratitis, retinopathy and xerophthalmia occurred respectively in 12 (25.5%), 5 (10.6%), 1 (2.1%), and 9 (19.1%) patients. Radiotherapy is an effective and at the same time well tolerated treatment for primary orbital lymphoma.