NON-HODGKIN\'S LYMPHOMA IN IRAN

Two hundred and ninety cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from the Fars Province Cancer Registry and Mashad University Hospital were reviewed and classified according to the new International Working Formulation for clinical use. The cases fall into low-grade (35 male, 26 female), intermediate-grade (61 male, 26 female), and high-grade (84 male, 26 female) groups. Each group includes several morphologic subtypes which are discussed in detail. In general, lymphomas occurred more frequently in two age groups: 5-20 and 45-65 years. High-grade lymphomas were more common than either low or intermediate-grade types. Interestingly, a high incidence of Burkitt's lymphoma (non-African type) was observed (58 of 290 cases), which occurred most commonly in children under 14 years of age, with the abdomen as a preferred site. Follicular small cell cleaved lymphomas (nodular PDL) were rare in our cases, in contrast to that which is reported in other series. Several cases of lymphomas not included in the Working Formulation such as intermediate lymphocytic lymphoma and its follicular variant (Mantle Zone type) were also observed (15 male, 7 female).