Treatment of adult non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

The three most debated controversies surrounding the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are: should the therapy of low-grade ('indolent') lymphomas be deferred until it is clinically necessary or must it be started soon after diagnosis? and, if so, is mild or aggressive treatment more suitable? should intermediate-grade lymphomas be treated with 'intermediate' level therapies? and, if not, which case can be approached as low-grade and which as high-grade lymphoma? how heavy a multidrug chemotherapy can be designed for high-grade lymphomas, considering both the effectiveness and toxicity of recent regimens? The replies given in recent years to these questions have been reviewed here, together with the treatment of certain clinical conditions, salvage therapies and some promising, nearly experimental treatments.