含利妥昔单抗化疗方案治疗套细胞淋巴瘤效果分析

目的探讨含利妥昔单抗化疗方案治疗套细胞淋巴瘤(MCL)患者效果及预后影响因素。方法回顾性分析2007年6月至2018年11月苏州大学附属第一医院血液科收治的56例≤65岁MCL患者临床资料,化疗方案中均包括利妥昔单抗,观察临床特征、治疗方案及生物学指标对总生存(OS)和无进展生存(PFS)的影响。结果56例患者中位发病年龄57岁,男性43例,女性13例。24例接受R-CHOP方案化疗;29例接受含阿糖胞苷方案化疗,其中15例接受R-hyper CVAD/R-MA方案化疗,14例接受R-CHOP/R-DAHP交替治疗;3例接受其他方案化疗。19例接受自体造血干细胞移植(ASCT)巩固治疗。56例患者中位OS时间74个月,2年OS率83.8%,3年OS率70.9%,2年PFS率72.0%,3年PFS率49.7%。国际预后指数(IPI)评分和治疗中是否接受ASCT是MCL患者OS和PFS的独立影响因素。含阿糖胞苷治疗组总有效率(ORR)93.1%,优于R-CHOP方案组(83.3%),差异无统计学意义(χ²=0.465,P=0.495);两组间OS及PFS差异均无统计学意义(OS:χ²=0.291,P=0.590;PFS:χ²=0.912,P=0.339)。诱导化疗达缓解的MCL患者中,ASCT巩固治疗可延长中位OS时间(72个月比124个月,χ²=3.973,P=0.040)及中位PFS时间(34个月比90个月,χ²=3.984,P=0.046)。简化MCL国际预后指数(sMIPI)评分中高危组患者中接受ASCT巩固治疗患者OS和PFS优于未接受ASCT治疗者(OS:χ²=5.037,P=0.025;PFS:χ²=6.787,P=0.009),而sMIPI评分低危组患者中,是否接受ASCT组间OS、PFS差异均无统计学意义(均P>0.05)。结论含阿糖胞苷的化疗方案对改善MCL患者的预后和生存并不理想。对于诱导化疗达缓解及sMIPI评分中高危组的MCL患者,ASCT巩固治疗可改善其预后,可作为年轻患者的一线巩固治疗方案。     

Intensive chemotherapy and autologous stem-cell transplantation plus rituximab is superior to conventional chemotherapy for newly diagnosed advanced stage mantle-cell lymphoma: a matched pair analysis.

BACKGROUND: The outcome of 20 patients with newly diagnosed mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL) treated on a prospective trial of autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) and rituximab immunotherapy was compared with the outcome of 40 matched historical control patients treated with standard combination chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Control patients with MCL were identified from a lymphoma database, and pairs were matched with patients receiving ASCT-rituximab for stage of disease, gender and age (+/-5 years). Only patients treated with an anthracycline- or cyclophosphamide-fludarabine-based regimen were included. RESULTS: Seventeen of 20 patients who received ASCT-rituximab remain alive in remission at a median of 30 months from diagnosis; one patient relapsed 2 years post-ASCT, and two died at 7 and 11 months post-ASCT without evidence of lymphoma. Of 40 patients treated with conventional chemotherapy, with a median follow-up of 80 months, 33 have relapsed or progressed and 29 have died. Overall (OS) and progression-free (PFS) survival were superior in patients treated with ASCT-rituximab compared with those treated with conventional chemotherapy (PFS at 3 years, 89% versus 29%, P <0.00001; OS at 3 years, 88% versus 65%, P = 0.052). CONCLUSIONS: This matched-pair analysis suggests that patients with advanced-stage MCL treated with ASCT-rituximab had statistically significantly better PFS and a trend toward better OS than patients treated with conventional chemotherapy. Longer follow-up will determine response duration and the true impact of this treatment strategy on PFS and OS.     

32例套细胞淋巴瘤中BTK蛋白的表达及临床意义

  目的  检测套细胞淋巴瘤(mantle cell lymphoma,MCL)患者病理组织中Bruton酪氨酸激酶(Bruton tyrosin kinase,BTK)表达水平并分析其与患者临床特征及预后的相关性。  方法  选取天津医科大学肿瘤医院2011年1月至2015年12月期间经病理检测诊断为MCL且随访资料完整的32例患者和10例良性淋巴结增生患者的病理组织。采用免疫组织化学法对32例MCL组织和10例良性淋巴结组织染色,并采用SPSS 17.0统计学软件对所收集的患者临床数据资料进行分析。  结果  BTK蛋白在MCL组织和正常的淋巴组织中均呈阳性表达,但在MCL病理组织中多为强阳性表达;BTK阳性表达与Ki-67和MIPI评分相关;应用Kaplan-Meier法对预后进行分析,显示BTK强阳性表达患者的无进展生存期(progression free survival,PFS)显著低于BTK弱表达患者(P=0.030),但总生存期(overall survival,OS)无统计学意义(P=0.073);PFS的单因素分析结果显示,年龄≥65岁,ECOG评分≥2分,骨髓受累,BTK强阳性表达,Ki-67＞30%,根据套细胞淋巴瘤国际预后指数(mantle cell lymphoma international prognostic index,MIPI)评分≥6分,皆是MCL患者的不良预后因素,但在Cox多因素分析结果中仅MIPI评分≥6分可作为MCL患者的独立不良预后因素。  结论  BTK在MCL患者中多为强阳性表达,且与Ki-67和MIPI评分呈正相关;BTK强阳性表达患者的PFS显著低于BTK弱表达患者,但由于随访时间短暂和样本量限制,BTK的强阳性表达尚不能作为PFS的一项独立不良预后因素。      

Post-treatment (not interim) positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan status is highly predictive of outcome in mantle cell lymphoma patients treated with R-HyperCVAD

BACKGROUND:

Although convincing data exist regarding the prognostic utility of positron emission tomographic (PET)‐computed tomographic (CT) imaging in Hodgkin lymphoma and diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma, its prognostic utility both during treatment and immediately after treatment have not been systematically evaluated in a large mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patient cohort to support its use in clinical practice.

METHODS:

The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study to examine the prognostic utility of PET‐CT imaging in a uniform MCL patient cohort undergoing dose‐intensive chemotherapy (R‐HyCVAD) in the frontline setting. The primary study endpoints were progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). PET‐CT images were centrally reviewed for the purposes of this study using standardized response criteria.

RESULTS:

Fifty‐three patients with advanced stage MCL with PET‐CT data were identified. With median follow‐up of 32 months, 3‐year PFS and OS estimates were 76% (95% confidence interval [CI], 64%‐84%) and 84% (95% CI, 72%‐90%), respectively. Interim PET‐CT status was not associated with PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.9; 95% CI, 0.3‐2.7; P = .8) or OS (HR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.1‐2.9; P = .5). Post‐treatment PET‐CT status was statistically significantly associated with PFS (HR, 5.2; 95% CI, 2.0‐13.6; P = .001) and trended toward significant for OS (HR, 2.8; 95% CI, 0.8‐9.6; P = .07).

CONCLUSIONS:

These data do not support the prognostic utility of PET‐CT in pretreatment and interim treatment settings. A positive PET‐CT after the completion of therapy identifies a patient subset with an inferior PFS and a trend toward inferior OS. Cancer 2012;3565–3570. © 2011 American Cancer Society.     

Effect of Radiotherapy on the Survival of Patients With Stage I and Stage II Mantle Cell Lymphoma: Analysis of the Surveillance,Epidemiology and End Results Database

BackgroundRadiotherapy is a treatment option for stage I and stage II MCL. However, data demonstrating the role of RT in a larger patient population and its real world effects are unknown.Materials and MethodsTo demonstrate the role of RT in the OS of patients with stage I and stage II MCL, we performed a retrospective analysis of the SEER database. Included patients were adults with age > 40 years who had MCL stages I and II, and diagnosis between 1992 and 2010. We excluded patients lacking information on demographic characteristics, survival, and RT. Patients were analyzed in 2 groups, those treated with initial RT (RT group) and those not treated with initial RT (no-RT group).ResultsA total of 657 patients were eligible for analysis with 178 patients in the RT group and 479 patients in the no-RT group. The median age of the study group was 68 years. The RT group had a significantly greater proportion of patients with age < 60, male sex, and extranodal disease. Median OS was 103 months in the RT group versus 66 months in the no-RT group (P = .002). On Multivariate analysis, treatment with initial RT was associated with a lower hazard for mortality (hazard ratio, 0.767; 95% confidence interval, 0.602-0.979; P = .033). Age < 60, stage I disease, and extranodal disease were independently associated with a significantly decreased hazard for mortality on Multivariate analysis.ConclusionAlthough stage I and stage II MCL constitute only a small proportion of this disease, our study demonstrates that upfront RT improves the OS of these patients.     

VcR-CVAD Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Maintenance Rituximab Produces Durable Remissions in Mantle Cell Lymphoma: A Wisconsin Oncology Network Study

Introduction

VcR-CVAD was developed as an intermediate-intensity induction regimen with maintenance rituximab (MR) to improve remission durations after first-line therapy for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in older and younger patients with MCL.

Predictive impact of MGMT promoter methylation in glioblastoma of the elderly

O(6)-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation identifies a subpopulation of glioblastoma patients with more favorable prognosis and predicts a benefit from alkylating agent chemotherapy (CT). Little is known about its prevalence and clinical significance in older glioblastoma patients. We studied 233 glioblastoma patients aged 70 years or more (144 males, 89 females, median age: 74 years, range: 70.0-86.6 years), who were prospectively enrolled in the German Glioma Network, for MGMT promoter methylation by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) in all patients and DNA pyrosequencing in 166 patients. MGMT data were correlated with patient outcome. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.8 months (95% CI: 4.3-5.3) and median overall survival (OS) was 7.7 months (95% CI: 6.3-9.0). MGMT promoter methylation was detected by MSP in 134 patients (57.5%). For the whole cohort, PFS was 5.2 versus 4.7 months (p = 0.207) and OS was 8.4 versus 6.4 months (p = 0.031) in patients with versus without MGMT promoter methylation. Patients with MGMT methylated tumors had longer PFS when treated with radiotherapy (RT) plus CT or CT alone compared to patients treated with RT alone. Patients with MGMT unmethylated tumors appeared to derive no survival benefit from CT, regardless of whether given at diagnosis together with RT or as a salvage treatment. Patients treated with RT plus CT or CT alone demonstrated longer OS when pyrosequencing revealed >25% MGMT methylated alleles. Taken together, MGMT promoter methylation may be a useful biomarker to stratify elderly glioblastoma patients for treatment with versus without alkylating agent CT.     

Incidence of transformation to aggressive lymphoma in limited-stage follicular lymphoma treated with radiotherapy

BackgroundThe established treatment of limited-stage follicular lymphoma is radiotherapy (RT). There is an inherent risk of transformation of follicular lymphoma to aggressive lymphoma; however, the frequency and impact on the outcome are unknown in limited-stage patients.Materials and methodsWe identified 237 patients with limited-stage follicular lymphoma treated with curative intent RT. Cases were reviewed to determine the frequency of transformation and subsequent survival.ResultsWith a median follow-up of 7.4 years, the 10-year risk of transformation was 18.5%. With a median follow-up after transformation of 4.7 years, the 3-year post-transformation progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 42% and 44%, respectively. The addition of rituximab improved the 3-year post-transformation PFS and OS compared with combination chemotherapy alone (78% versus 15%, P < 0.00001) and (87% versus 38.5%, P < 0.00001), respectively. In multivariate analysis, only rituximab was associated with OS [HR 0.07 (95% CI 0.015–0.312, P = 0.001)] and PFS [HR 0.19 (95% CI 0.55–0.626, P = 0.007)] following transformation.ConclusionsThere is a moderate risk of transformation in limited-stage follicular lymphoma treated with curative intent RT, and it substantially impacts outcome in these patients. Treatment with rituximab at the time of transformation appears to improve survival in this otherwise poor-risk population.     

Mantle Cell Lymphoma: A North Indian Tertiary Care Centre Experience

Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, with a pathognomonic chromosomal translocation t (11;14). Prognosis is uniformly dismal but there is a paucity of information on MCL from India. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analysed clinicopathological information on all treated patients with MCL at our centre. STATA 14.0 was used for analysis. Survival was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox’s proportional hazards method. Statistical significance was defined as a P value of < 0.05. Results: Fifty-one patients with MCL were reviewed. The median age at presentation was 57.0 years. Extranodal involvement was seen in 39.0 (74.0%) while bone marrow positivity at presentation was found in 27.0 (54.0%). Initial treatment was chemotherapy with or without rituximab. Patients receiving rituximab-based therapy (n = 24) had 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) of 21.0 (88.0%), compared with 14.0 (61.0%) for those not receiving rituximab (n = 23, P = 0.036). Twenty-three patients were alive with a median follow-up of 20.7 months (range 2.5-89.2). PFS at 1 and 2 years was 51.0% and 27.0%, and overall survival (OS) 78.0% and 72.0%, respectively. Use of more than 2.0 lines of therapy, use of bendamustine-rituximab, and high TLC (>10,000.0/cu.mm) significantly affected PFS. Conclusions: In our experience, MCL patients from north India have an early age at presentation. When treated with regimens including rituximab results in an improved response rate and PFS. This study provided comprehensive insights into the treatment of MCL in a developing country.     

不同治疗方式对术后伴中危因素Ⅰ-ⅡA期宫颈癌预后影响

目的 比较不同治疗方式对伴中危因素的Ⅰ-ⅡA期宫颈癌患者的生存差异,探讨早期宫颈癌术后伴中危因素患者的最佳治疗模式。方法 回顾分析2007-2016年间收治的包含中危因素的323例宫颈癌术后患者,比较观察(NT)、单纯化疗(CT)、放疗(RT)及同步放化疗(CCRT)方式对生存的影响。Kaplan-Meier法生存分析,Logrank检验差异,Cox模型行预后因素分析。结果 全组的5年PFS、OS为79.0%、84.8%。单因素及多因素分析肿瘤大小>4 cm、治疗方式是影响PFS的因素(P=0.017、0.002),危险因素个数、治疗方式是影响OS的因素(P=0.042、0.000)。全组中RT及CCRT均可改善患者预后(P=0.007、0.000)。亚组分析中任意1个中危因素(低危组),CT能够延长5年PFS (P=0.026),在改善5年OS上相近(P=0.692);与NT及CT相比,RT及CCRT均能改善患者预后(P=0.006、0.000),但RT与CCRT相近(P=0.820、0.426)。≥2个中危因素(高危组)中,与CT相比,CCRT能提高患者的5年PFS (P=0.006),但不能延长患者5年OS (P=0.107);RT与CCRT比较,CCRT均可改善患者的预后(P=0.028、0.039)。结论 仅有1个中危因素时,RT也能改善预后;伴有≥2个中危因素时,CCRT更能改善患者的预后。     

Primary site and regional lymph node involvement are independent prognostic factors for early-stage extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T cell lymphoma

Background: Nasal?type extranodal natural killer/T?cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) originates primarily in the nasal cavity or extra?nasal sites within the upper aerodigestive tract. However, it is unclear whether the primary site can serve as an independent prognostic factor or whether the varying clinical outcomes observed with different primary sites can be attributed merely to their propensities of regional lymph node involvement. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic implications of the primary site and regional lymph node involvement in patients with early?stage nasal?type ENKTCL. Methods: To develop a nomogram, we reviewed the clinical data of 215 consecutively diagnosed patients with early?stage nasal?type ENKTCL who were treated in Sun Yat?sen University Cancer Center with chemotherapy and radiotherapy between 2000 and 2011. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were determined using a concordance index (C?index) and calibration curve. Results: The 5?year overall survival (OS) and progression?free survival (PFS) rates of patients with nasal ENKTCL were higher than those of patients with extra?nasal ENKTCL (OS: 68.2% vs. 46.0%, P = 0.030; PFS: 53.4% vs. 26.6%, P = 0.010).The 5?year OS and PFS rates of patients with Ann Arbor stage IE ENKTCL were higher than those of patients with Ann Arbor stage IIE ENKTCL (OS: 66.3% vs. 59.2%, P = 0.003; PFS: 51.4% vs. 40.3%, P = 0.009). Multivariate analysisshowed that age >60 years, ECOG performance status score nasal primary site, and regional lymph node involvement were significantly associated with lower 5?year OS rate;≥2, elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, extra?age >60 years, elevated LDH level, extra?nasal primary site, and regional lymph node involvement were significantly associated with lower 5?year PFS rate. The nomogram included the primary site and regional lymph node involve?ment based on multivariate analysis. The calibration curve showed good agreement between the predicted and actual 5?year OS and PFS rates, and the C?indexes of the nomogram for the OS and PFS rates were 0.697 and 0.634, respectively. Conclusions: The primary site and regional lymph node involvement are independent prognostic factors for early?stage ENKTCL treated with chemotherapy followed by definitive radiotherapy.     

Long‐term outcomes for patients with limited stage follicular lymphoma

BACKGROUND:

Given the indolent behavior of follicular lymphoma (FL), it is controversial whether limited stage FL can be cured using radiotherapy (RT). Furthermore, the optimal RT field size is unclear. The authors of this report investigated the long‐term outcomes of patients with limited stage FL who received RT alone and studied the impact of reducing the RT field size from involved regional RT (IRRT) to involved node RT with margins up to 5 cm (INRT≤5 cm).

METHODS:

Eligible patients had limited stage, grade 1 through 3A FL diagnosed between 1986 and 2006 and treated were with curative‐intent RT alone. IRRT encompassed the involved lymph node group plus ≥1 adjacent, uninvolved lymph node group(s). INRT≤5 cm covered the involved lymph node(s) with margins ≤5 cm.

RESULTS:

In total, 237 patients were identified (median follow‐up, 7.3 years) and included 48% men, 54% aged >60 years, stage IA disease in 76% of patients, elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in 7% of patients, grade 3A tumors in 12% of patients, and lymph node size ≥5 cm in 19% of patients. The 2 RT groups were IRRT (142 patients; 60%) and INRT≤5 cm (95 patients; 40%). At 10 years, the progression‐free survival (PFS) rate was 49%, and the overall survival (OS) rate was 66%. Only 2 patients developed recurrent disease beyond 10 years. The most common pattern of first failure was a distant recurrence only, which developed in 38% of patients who received IRRT and in 32% of patients who received INRT≤5 cm. After INRT≤5 cm, 1% of patients had a regional‐only recurrence. Significant risk factors for PFS were lymph nodes ≥5 cm (P = .008) and male gender (P = .042). Risk factors for OS were age >60 years (P < .001), elevated LDH (P = .007), lymph nodes ≥5 cm (P = .016), and grade 3A tumors (P = .036). RT field size did not have an impact on PFS or OS.

CONCLUSIONS:

Disease recurrence after 10 years was uncommon in patients who had limited stage FL, suggesting that a cure is possible. Reducing RT fields to INRT≤5 cm did not compromise long‐term outcomes. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.     

Role of surgery for nonmetastatic abdominal rhabdomyosarcomas: a report from the Italian and German Soft Tissue Cooperative Groups Studies

BACKGROUND: In the current study, the authors aim to evaluate clinical features and treatment results observed in patients from the German and Italian studies who had nonmetastatic abdominal rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS). METHODS: One hundred sixty-one patients were observed; 78 registered in the German studies between October 1980 and August 1995, and 83 registered in the Italian studies between April 1975 and December 1995. The age range of the patients was 0-18 years (median, 4 yrs). The distribution of tumor sites was as follows: 32 intraperitoneal, 42 retroperitoneal, 75 pelvic, and 12 not otherwise specified (NOS). Most patients had a large and invasive primary mass (26 T1b, 114 T2b). The breakdown in histology was as follows: 116 embryonal, 34 alveolar, and 11 other (leiomyomatous, pleomorphic, and NOS); all cases were staged according to the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Studies (IRS) system. Nine Group I patients were treated after surgery with chemotherapy (CT) (radiotherapy [RT] was delivered to treat alveolar RMS in the 1991 German and 1988 Italian studies); 19 Group II patients received CT + RT (40-44 Gy); 133 Group III patients underwent neoadjuvant CT +/- surgery and/or RT (54 Gy) + CT. Different CT regimens (based primarily on the administration of vincristine, dactinomycin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide or ifosfamide) were adopted. RT was not recommended for patients age < 3 years. RESULTS: The 10-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 47.2% and 43.9%, respectively. The OS was related significantly to the following variables: histology (alveolar, 29.4% vs. nonalveolar, 52.1% [P = 0.0156]), tumor size (> 5 cm, 42.1% vs. < 5 cm, 81% [P = 0.005]), age (< 10 yrs, 51.4% vs. >or= 10 yrs, 27.8% [P = 0.02]), complete surgery at diagnosis or after CT (+/-RT) (70.4% vs. 34.4% without it [P = 0.0015]). Most patients who achieved the delayed local control had responded well to neoadjuvant CT. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor size, histology, age, and initial or delayed achievement of local control were important prognostic factors. Most relapsed patients had unfavorable outcomes.     

利妥昔单抗时代放疗对早期韦氏环弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤的作用价值

目的 分析早期韦氏环弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤接受利妥昔单抗加CHOP为主方案化疗后放疗的作用价值。方法 2000—2013年收治83例确诊为原发韦氏环弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤患者,其中Ⅰ期25例、Ⅱ期58例。全组接受了利妥昔单抗加CHOP为主方案化疗,62例接受了受累野放疗(韦氏环+颈部淋巴结区域),21例未接受放疗。Kaplan-Meier法计算OS、PFS、LRC并Logrank法检验和单因素分析,Cox模型多因素分析。结果 全组5年样本数18例,5年OS、PFS和LRC率分别为89%、84%和90%。单因素分析显示年龄>60岁、LDH升高、ECOG≥2分和IPI≥2分是OS的预后不良因素。年龄>60岁、肿瘤≥5 cm、ECOG≥2分和IPI≥2分是PFS和LRC的影响因素。在利妥昔单抗治疗基础上加入巩固性放疗比未放疗者提高了5年PFS、LRC,分别为94%比58%(P=0.003)、100%比61%(P=0.000),OS有增加趋势(94%比71%,P=0.063)。结论 早期韦氏环弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤利妥昔单抗加CHOP为主方化疗后巩固性放疗显著改善了PFS、LRC率,并可能改善OS率,需大样本和前瞻性研究证实。     

Is endometrial carcinoma intrinsically more aggressive in elderly patients?

BACKGROUND: The current study was conducted to determine the influence of old age (age >/= 70 years) on outcome in a group of patients with endometrial carcinoma who were treated with simple hysterectomy followed by adjuvant radiation therapy (RT). METHODS: Between November 1987 and May 2000, 405 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stage IB-II endometrial carcinoma were treated with postoperative RT. Intravaginal RT alone was given to 77% of patients (median dose, 21grays [Gy] given in 3 fractions). Additional postoperative external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) was given to 23% of patients (median dose, 45 Gy). Eighty-four patients were age >/= 70 years and 321 patients were age < 70 years. The two groups were well balanced with regard to race, comprehensive surgical staging, aggressive histology, lymphovascular invasion, lower uterine segment involvement, cervical involvement, and the use of postoperative EBRT. Significantly more patients in the age >/= 70 years group had other comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, or hypertension (P = 0.02) and were found to have deep (> 50%) myometrial invasion (P = 0.008). RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 48 months, the 5-year locoregional control (LRC), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 95%, 91%, and 90% respectively. On multivariate analysis, poor LRC was found to be correlated with age >/= 70 years (P = 0.019) and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.001). Poor DFS was found to be correlated with age >/= 70 years (P = 0.03), lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.01), and aggressive histology (P = 0.001). Similarly, poor OS was found to correlate with age >/= 70 years (P = 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.01), aggressive histology (P = 0.01), and cervical involvement (P = 0.02). The same factors that were found to correlate with OS (age >/= 70 years, lymphovascular involvement, aggressive histology, and cervical involvement) also appeared to correlate with disease-specific survival (P = 0.03, P = 0.008, P = 0.001, and P = 0.04, respectively). The 5-year actuarial rates of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group late complications that were >/= Grade 3 (gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, or vagina) were 3% in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Even when treated in a similar fashion, endometrial carcinoma patients age >/= 70 years appear to fare worse than younger patients independent of other poor prognostic factors. The rate of complications from adjuvant RT, despite a higher rate of comorbidity in elderly patients, was found to be similar in both age groups. Endometrial carcinoma appears to be intrinsically more aggressive in older patients, thus mandating further improvement in their treatment strategies.     

The superiority of conservative resection and adjuvant radiation for craniopharyngiomas

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the roles of resection extent and adjuvant radiation in the treatment of craniopharyngiomas. We reviewed the records of 122 patients ages 11-52 years who received primary treatment for craniopharyngioma between 1980 and 2009 at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Primary endpoints were progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were development of panhypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus (DI), and visual field defects. Of 122 patients, 30 (24%) were treated with gross total resection (GTR) without radiation therapy (RT), 3 (3%) with GTR + RT, 41 (33.6%) with subtotal resection (STR) without RT, and 48 (39.3%) with STR + RT. Median age at diagnosis was 30 years, with 46 patients 18 years or younger. Median follow-up for all patients was 56.4 months (interquartile range 18.9-144.2 months) and 47 months (interquartile range 12.3-121.8 months) for the 60 patients without progression. Fifty six patients progressed, 10 have died, 6 without progression. Median PFS was 61.1 months for all patients. PFS rate at 2 years was 61.5% (95% CI: 52.1-70.9). OS rate at 10 years was 91.1% (95% CI 84.3-97.9). There was no significant difference in PFS and OS between patients treated with GTR vs. STR + XRT (PFS; p = 0.544, OS; p = 0.735), but STR alone resulted in significantly shortened PFS compared to STR + RT or GTR (p < 0.001 for both). STR was associated with significantly shortened OS compared to STR + RT (p = 0.050) and trended to shorter OS compared to GTR (p = 0.066). GTR was associated with significantly greater risk of developing DI (56.3 vs. 13.3% with STR + XRT, p < 0.001) and panhypopituitarism (54.8 vs. 26.7% with STR + XRT, p = 0.014). In conclusion, for patients with craniopharyngioma, STR + RT may provide superior clinical outcome, achieving better disease control than STR and limiting side effects associated with aggressive surgical resection.     

Frequency and significance of anemia in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients

Objectives: Retrospective evaluation of anemia frequency and its prognostic value in patients with different subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and comparison with other clinical characteristics.Patients and methods: Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin value less than or equal to 12 g/dl for all men and women over 50 years of age, and less than or equal to 11 g/dl for women under 50 years of age. The study included 1077 adult lymphoma patients treated between 1980 and 1995 with the following histologic subtypes: 127 patients with small lymphocytic or lymphoplasmacytoid, 62 with marginal zone, 50 with mantle-cell, 208 with follicular, 104 with T-cell lymphoma, 426 with diffuse large-cell and, finally, 73 patients with other high-grade lymphomas.Results: Anemia was present in 341 patients (32%). It was an adverse prognostic factor (P <; 0.0001) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) but not for relapse-free survival (RFS). When patients with and those without bone marrow involvement were considered separately, anemia remained an adverse factor. Anemia was significantly associated with shorter PFS in small lymphocytic or lymphoplasmacytoid, mantle cell, diffuse large cell and high-grade lymphomas and with shorter OS in all histologic subgroups except marginal zone lymphoma. In multivariate analysis, anemia was a significant prognostic factor for OS and PFS for the population as a whole (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0048, respectively) and in patients with bone marrow involvement (P = 0.007 and P = 0.005, respectively) but not in patients without bone marrow involvement. Finally, the addition of anemia to the International Prognostic Index led to an improvement for OS (P = 0.0004) and PFS (P = 0.0004).Conclusions: Anemia is an important adverse prognostic factor for the outcome of lymphoma patients, particularly in some histologic subgroups and in patients with bone marrow involvement.     

Outcome of mantle cell lymphoma patients treated at a single institution over the past decade

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma entity with a heterogeneous clinical presentation. Various therapeutic considerations in MCL for younger and elderly patients were used over the past decade. We retrospectively analyzed all 44 patients consecutively treated in a tertiary hospital between 2000 and 2010 with newly diagnosed MCL. Patient characteristics, treatment regimens and biological markers were evaluated with regard to overall survival (OS). Treatment regimens were categorized into internationally accepted intensive standard therapies and less intensive alternative treatment regimens given with palliative intent. Biological markers were correlated with clinical outcome by univariate analysis. The median age of the entire study group was 66 years (range: 42–88), with 23 (52%) patients ≥65 years. Thirty‐one (70%) patients received standard regimens, the remaining 13 (30%) patients were treated with other, less intensive regimens with palliative intent. With a median follow‐up of 5.25 years, the three‐year OS rate was 60% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47–0.77]. Patients treated with standard regimens had a three‐year survival rate of 77% (range: 64–94%). Of these, patients younger than 65 years were observed to have better OS (83% at 3 years; 95% CI 68–100%) than those older than 65 years (69% at 3 years; 95% CI 48–99%). In univariate analysis, the only parameters with a statistically significant prognostic impact on OS were absolute monocyte count as a continuous variable, lactate dehydrogenase and absolute lymphocyte count (>0.5 × 10⁹/l) at diagnosis. In conclusion, our data of an unselected group of patients with newly diagnosed MCL treated at a single centre tertiary hospital are in line with results from larger randomized trials demonstrating an improved OS rate of younger as well as elderly MCL patients within the last decade. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Primary diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma of the tonsil

BACKGROUND: The purpose was to evaluate the prognostic factors and treatment outcome of Indian patients with primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the tonsil treated at a single institution. METHODS: In all, 121 patients with DLBCL of the tonsil, treated at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India, from January 1990 to December 2002, were included. The median age was 45 years and the majority of patients (68%) were males. Systemic symptoms were present in 12% of patients; 28% presented with stage I and 67% had stage II disease. Treatment consisted of a combination of chemotherapy (CTh) and radiotherapy (RT) for the majority of patients (69.4%). Among those receiving RT, 64% received an RT dose of > or =45 Gy. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 62 months, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 66.4% and 81.6%, respectively. Significant prognostic factors included: WHO performance score > or =2 (OS: 72.1% vs 95.6%, P = .016), bulky tumors (OS: 68.5% vs 86.9%, P = .001), presence of B-symptoms (OS: 36.7% vs 79.6%, P < .001), and Ann Arbor stage. On multivariate analysis; WHO performance score > or =2 (hazard ratio [HR], 4.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-15.12), and B symptoms (HR, 6.27; 95% CI, 2.38-16.48), retained statistical significance. CTh + RT resulted in a significantly better outcome than those treated with CTh alone (OS: 85.7% vs 70.7%, P = .008). The complete response (P = .053), DFS (P = .039), and OS (P = .014) rates were significantly better for patients receiving an RT dose > or =45 Gy. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor bulk, WHO performance score, the presence of B symptoms, and Ann Arbor stage significantly influence outcome. A combined modality treatment, consisting of CTh and RT (with an RT dose of > or =45 Gy), results in a satisfactory outcome in patients with this uncommon neoplasm.     

Early or up-front radiotherapy improved survival of localized extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type in the upper aerodigestive tract

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of early or up-front radiotherapy (RT), the optimal RT dose required to achieve appropriate treatment outcome and prognostic factors for patients with localized extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type, in the upper aerodigestive tract. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eighty-two patients were reviewed. Eight patients were treated with chemotherapy (CT) alone, 9 patients received RT alone, and 65 patients were given combined modality treatment of CT and RT (CMT). Of those 74 patients receiving RT, 31 patients were given up-front RT, whereas CT was the initial therapy for 43 patients and 41 of those 43 patients received early RT. RESULTS: Five-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 52.3% and 39.2%, respectively. RT was the only independent prognostic factor for both OS and DFS at both the univariate and multivariate level. The 5-year OS and DFS were better in patients receiving >or=54 Gy of RT as compared with that of <54 Gy (5-year OS 75.5% vs. 46.1%, p = 0.019; 5-year DFS 60.3% vs. 33.4%, p = 0.004). Up-front RT presented better survival in Stage I patients when compared with that of initial CT followed by early RT (5-year OS 90.0% vs. 48.9%, p = 0.012; 5-year DFS 78.7% vs. 39.9%, p = 0.021). CONCLUSION: Early or up-front RT had an essential role in improved OS and DFS in patients with localized extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type, in the upper aerodigestive tract. The recommended tumor dose was at least 54 Gy. Up-front RT may yield more benefits on survival in patients with Stage I disease.