Table 1. Patient characteristics.

Characteristics	HDT/ASCT		Chemo-sensitive		Chemo-refractory
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	P-value
No. of patients	44	100	30	68	14	32
Age at relapse (years)
Median	26.5		29.5		26.5
Range	17–59		19–59		17–48
⩾30 years	14	32	10	33	4	12	>0.99
Sex
Male	18	41	12	40	6	43	0.748
Female	26	59	18	60	8	57
Stage at relapse
I/II	26	60	8	27	9	69	0.016
Relapse at mediastinum	34	79	23	77	11	85	0.699
CNS relapse	2	5	2	6.6	0	0	>0.99
PS at diagnosis
⩾2	14	33	9	31	5	38	0.729
LDH at diagnosis
Greater than ULN	36	88	25	86	11	92
Extranodal sites >1	10	24	8	28	2	17	0.694
IPI at diagnosis
IPI ⩾3	9	22	5	17	4	33	0.408
Low	17	41	12	43	5	38
Low intermediate	15	37	11	39	4	31
High intermediate	7	17	3	11	4	31
High	2	5	2	7	0	0
Bulky tumor at diagnosis, cm
⩾10	26	70	19	73	7	64	0.699
Presence of pleural or pericardial effusion at diagnosis
Yes	26	60	18	62	8	57	>0.99
Rituximab-containing therapy as first-line treatment			33	72	22	54
Yes	29	66	22	73	7	50	0.177
Prior RT as first-line treatment
Yes	10	23	8	27	2	14	0.462
First-line treatment
R-CHOP	27	63	21	70	6	43	0.107
CHOP	12	28	7	23	5	36	0.475
The second-/third-generation regimens	4	9	2	7	2	14	0.581
Primary refractory disease
Yes	18	41	10	33	8	57	0.191
Relapse time
Relapse <12 months	29	66	19	63	10	71	0.738
Relapse ⩾12 months	15	34	2	22	12	32

Abbreviations: CHOP, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone; CNS, central nervous system; HDT/ASCT, high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation; IPI, international prognostic index; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; PS, performance status; R, rituximab; RT, radiotherapy; ULN, upper limit of normal.