Eighteen untreated elderly patients (median age 75 years) with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) entered a phase II study with oral Idarubicin (4-demethoxidaunorubicin) at a dosage of 30-35 mg/m2 on day 1 and every 3 weeks thereafter. The medium number of cycles administered was three (range one to nine). We obtained one (6%) complete response and four (25%) partial responses in 16 evaluable patients. Toxicity was mild and no cardiotoxicity was found. At this dosage Idarubicin showed little anticancer activity in NHL.