Abstract:Objective To evaluate the clinical outcome of chemotherapy and interferon in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) patients, and to discuss the feasible treatment in ATLL patients. Methods The clinical characteristics and the effect of different treatments in 28 ATLL patients were retrospectively analyzed. 4 patients were treated with reorganized alpha-2b interferon. 8 patients were treated with reorganized alpha-2b interferon and CHOP therapy. 6 patients were treated with CHOP therapy. 7 patients were treated with EPOCH therapy. The other 3 patients refused chemotherapy and accepted the supportive treatments. The changes of symptom, hematological parameters, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, β2-microglobulin, the positive rate of Ki-67 and survival times in different groups of patients before and after treatments were compared. Receiving chemotherapy patients were treated for 2 courses and more. Results The median follow up time was 13 months, 3 patients had good effect of treating with α-2b interferon, and 1 patient had disease progression. 7 patients responded well of treating with α-2b interferon and CHOP therapy, and 1 patient had disease progression. 3 patients had good effect of treating with CHOP therapy, 2 patients had disease progression and 1 patient died. 4 patients had good effect of treating with EPOCH therapy, 2 patients had disease progression and 1 patient died. 2 patients refused chemotherapy and died, and the other 1 patient refused treatment and had disease progression. The overall response rate in group with α-2b interferon and CHOP therapy was obviously higher in group with chemotherapy or α-2b interferon alone (P?0.05). The median PFS and OS for patients treated with α-2b interferon and CHOP therapy were obviously higher than chemotherapy alone, and there were significant differences (P?0.05). The PFS in group with α-2b interferon and CHOP therapy was higher than interferon alone (P?0.05), but there was no significant difference between the OS (P?>?0.05). The OS and PFS in interferon alone were better than those treated with chemotherapy alone (P?0.05). Conclusions Chemotherapy and interferon are suitable for ATLL to delay the disease progression in part.