OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to identify the chemotherapeutic treatment patterns in patients with indolent non-hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) treated in the Brazilian Public Healthcare System.  METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal analysis based on the Government administrative claims database (Datasus) was performed from Jan/2008 to Dec/2012. Eligibility criteria were patients with indolent NHL diagnosed until Jan/2012 and starting their first chemotherapy regimen from Jan/2008 to Jan/2012. This cohort of patients was followed until Dec/2012, death or loss of follow-up. Patients without interruption during treatment and without change in medication were considered in the same chemotherapy regimen. Descriptive statistics (average, standard deviation and percentage) of treatment regimens, treatment free interval (TFI), age at the beginning of treatment, gender and length of treatment were performed.  RESULTS: 817 patients with indolent NHL representing 5,449 APACs (Authorization for High Complexity Procedures) met eligibility criteria. The population cohort comprised 50.7% men with an average age of 61.3±14.5years. 72.2% of the patients had only one chemotherapy regimen, whereas 18.2% had two and 9.1% had three or more chemotherapy regimens. Time between diagnose and the beginning of treatment was 3.6±6.2 months. The most widely used first chemotherapy regimen was cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisolone (CVP)(22.2%) followed by cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (CHOP) and rituximab(15.7%), cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisolone (COP) and rituximab(5.6%), chlorambucil and prednisone(4.8%). Average length of treatment was 5.0±3.7months. For second chemotherapy scheme, the most widely used regimen was CHOP and rituximab(14.1%), CVP(7.5%), interferon(9.3%), chlorambucil and prednisone(6.2%). The average length of treatment was 4.0±4.1months, with an average TFI of 3.3±4.2months.  CONCLUSIONS: The most used chemotherapy in first regimen was CVP. Rituximab in combinations was present in most patients in the first scheme. Rituximab in second scheme in combination with CHOP was the most used therapy. The length of treatment was longer in first scheme.