Risk profile and outcome in Hodgkin's lymphoma: is obesity beneficial?

The causal effect of adipose tissue on Hodgkin's lymphoma: two-sample Mendelian randomization study and validation

Background

Extensive research has been conducted on the correlation between adipose tissue and the risk of malignant lymphoma. Despite numerous observational studies exploring this connection, uncertainty remains regarding a causal relationship between adipose tissue and malignant lymphoma.

Methods

The increase or decrease in adipose tissue was represented by the height of BMI. The BMI and malignant lymphoma genome-wide association studies (GWAS) used a summary dataset from the OPEN GWAS website. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that met the criteria of P <5e-8 and LD of r2 = 0.001 in the BMI GWAS were chosen as genetic instrumental variants (IVs). Proxy SNPs with LD of r2 > 0.8 were identified, while palindromic and outlier SNPs were excluded. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis used five methods, including inverse-variance weighted (IVW) model, weighted median (WM), MR-Egger, simple mode, and weighted mode. Sensitivity assessments included Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, and leave-one-out analysis. Participants randomly selected by the National Center for Health Statistics (NHANSE) and newly diagnosed HL patients at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital were used for external validation.

Results

The results of the MR analysis strongly supported the causal link between BMI and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). The research demonstrated that individuals with lower BMI face a significantly increased risk of developing HL, with a 91.65% higher risk (ORIVW = 0.0835, 95% CI 0.0147 - 0.4733, P = 0.005). No signs of horizontal or directional pleiotropy were observed in the MR studies. The validation results aligned with the results from the MR analysis (OR = 0.871, 95% CI 0.826 - 0.918, P< 0.001). And there was no causal relationship between BMI and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

Conclusions

The MR analysis study demonstrated a direct correlation between lower BMI and HL. This suggested that a decrease in adipose tissue increases the risk of developing HL. Nevertheless, further research is essential to grasp the underlying mechanism of this causal association comprehensively.

The Effect of Obesity and Body Mass Index on Hematologic Malignancies

A thorough examination of the available literature has revealed a well-established association of obesity and high body mass index (BMI) with an increased risk of various types of cancers, including hematologic malignancies. Specifically, the studies reviewed indicate a clear correlation between obesity and an increased risk of leukemias, lymphomas, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome, and myeloproliferative diseases. Despite the established association of obesity and high BMI with hematologic malignancies, the underlying mechanisms remain largely undetermined. The development of hematologic malignancies may be influenced by several mechanisms associated with obesity and high BMI, including chronic inflammation, hormonal imbalances, adiposopathies, and metabolic dysregulation. Furthermore, there is mounting evidence indicating that obesity and high BMI may have a negative impact on the response to treatment and overall survival in patients with hematologic malignancies. This article aims to increase awareness and summarize the current state of research on the impact of obesity on hematologic malignancies, including the mechanisms by which obesity may influence the development and progression of these diseases. In addition, the current review highlights the need for effective weight management strategies in patients with hematologic malignancies to improve outcomes and mitigate the risk of complications.

Metabolic Biomarkers Assessed with PET/CT Predict Sex-Specific Longitudinal Outcomes in Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

In many cancers, including lymphoma, males have higher incidence and mortality than females. Emerging evidence demonstrates that one mechanism underlying this phenomenon is sex differences in metabolism, both with respect to tumor nutrient consumption and systemic alterations in metabolism, i.e., obesity. We wanted to determine if visceral fat and tumor glucose uptake with fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) could predict sex-dependent outcomes in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We conducted a retrospective analysis of 160 patients (84 males; 76 females) with DLBCL who had imaging at initial staging and after completion of therapy. CT-based relative visceral fat area (rVFA), PET-based SUVmax normalized to lean body mass (SULmax), and end-of-treatment FDG-PET 5PS score were calculated. Increased rVFA at initial staging was an independent predictor of poor OS only in females. At the end of therapy, increase in visceral fat was a significant predictor of poor survival only in females. Combining the change in rVFA and 5PS scores identified a subgroup of females with visceral fat gain and high 5PS with exceptionally poor outcomes. These data suggest that visceral fat and tumor FDG uptake can predict outcomes in DLBCL patients in a sex-specific fashion.

The Impact of Obesity on Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Patients Treated With Uniform Chemotherapy Protocol at Princess Noorah Oncology Center, National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Retrospective Matched Cohort

Background

Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is a disease that affects lymphocytes, mostly B cells, and it is commonly diagnosed by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells. The influence of obesity on the disease course of HL is still controversial. This study’s aim was to investigate the treatment outcomes in obese patients suffering from HL and compare them to the outcomes of non-obese patients.

Methods

This study is a single-center retrospective cohort study that included 280 patients admitted between 2009 and 2020 with different subtypes of HL who received the chemotherapy regimen of Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) at Princess Norah Oncology Center, National Guard Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Based on WHO criteria, the participants were divided into two groups (obese with a BMI that exceeds 30 kg/m2 versus non-obese with any BMI less than 29,9 kg/m2). All demographic data including age, gender, BMI, body surface area (BSA), and HL subtype (nodular sclerosis, mixed cellularity, lymphocyte depletion) were recorded. In addition, the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), previous cancer, smoking, staging of HL, number of cycles of ABVD, dose intensity of ABVD, and outcomes (emergency visits, death during therapy, primary resistance, relapse) were collected from the participant files.

Results

Regarding therapy outcomes, 24.1% of obese patients were admitted to the hospital after receiving the first cycle of ABVD as compared to 75.9% of non-obese patients. However, there was no significant statistical difference between obese and non-obese patients in their hospital admission (p value=0.500). In addition, non-obese patients had a higher chance of being admitted to the hospital after receiving the chemotherapy dose with an odds ratio of 1.22 compared to obese patients. For the emergency visits, 20.8% of obese patients were admitted to ER as a complication of the chemotherapy regimen, whereas 79.3% of non-obese patients were admitted to ER after receiving the chemotherapy. The P-value was statistically not significant (0.396), but the odds of ER admissions after ABVD cycles were 1.28 times higher in non-obese patients compared to obese.

Conclusion

The study outcomes showed a higher odds of hospital admission and ER admission as complications of the chemotherapy regimen in non-obese HL patients as compared to obese patients.

Baseline and progressive adipopenia in newly diagnosed patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with unfavorable features are associated with worse clinical outcomes

We retrospectively analyzed perirenal and subcutaneous fat thickness and their dynamics from baseline to end-of-treatment computerized-tomography scans in a cohort of 118 newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients with unfavorable features treated with R-DA-EPOCH regimen. Higher revised-international-prognostic-index (R-IPI) score was significantly associated with higher baseline perirenal and lower subcutaneous fat thickness. Up to 51% patients experienced perirenal and 40% subcutaneous fat-tissue loss during immunochemotherapy period. R-DA-EPOCH feasibility, toxicity and obtained response to therapy did not significantly differ regarding baseline perirenal and subcutaneous fat measurements whereas higher number of febrile-neutropenia cycles was associated with more pronounced subcutaneous fat loss. In multivariate-analyses subcutaneous fat loss of ≥6% (hazard-ratio (HR) =4.58, p < 0.001) and achieving response to therapy (HR = 0.03, p < 0.001) predicted overall-survival, and baseline subcutaneous fat thickness ≤24 mm (HR = 3.14, p = 0.023), baseline minimal perirenal fat thickness ≤8 mm (HR = 2.44, p = 0.042) and achieving response to therapy (HR = 0.04, p < 0.001) predicted progression-free-survival independently of each other.

Prognostic Impact of a Body Mass Index Decrease during First Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Follicular Lymphoma

Objective Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an indolent B-cell malignancy, usually treated by immunochemotherapy in advanced-stage and high-tumor-burden cases. Although some reports have shown no significant relationship between the pre-treatment body mass index (BMI) and the overall survival (OS) in FL, little is known regarding BMI changes during chemotherapy. We analyzed the impact of a BMI decrease during chemotherapy on the OS in FL patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 56 patients with untreated advanced FL who underwent chemotherapy at our institute between July 2009 and December 2020. The BMI change was defined based on the BMI before and at three months after the first chemotherapy session. The cut-off for a BMI decrease was set at 1.42 kg/m² according to the receiver operating characteristics curve for the OS. We compared the survival outcome between two BMI groups based on this cut-off. Results A BMI decrease was significantly associated with a worse OS (5-year OS: 86.7% vs. 60.5%, p=0.019), although the pre-treatment BMI showed no significant relationship with the survival. The adverse impact of a BMI decrease remained in a multivariate analysis for the OS (hazard ratio, 3.972; p=0.045). The decreased-BMI group tended to show a higher cumulative incidence of early-onset histological transformation (HT) than the non-decreased-BMI group (20% vs. 0.0%). A BMI decrease during chemotherapy in previously untreated FL patients might reflect the hyperactivation of tumor-induced metabolism related to HT. Conclusion A BMI decrease during chemotherapy might be an independent adverse prognostic factor in FL patients. BMI changes in addition to the condition of FL patients should be monitored during chemotherapy.

Body mass index at diagnosis is associated with survival outcome in peripheral T-cell lymphoma: a study of Chinese population

OBJECTIVE

Obesity increases the risk for many diseases, including some malignancies. We found that in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, patients with higher body mass index had significantly longer overall survival. Patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma usually have worse outcomes than those with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Nonetheless, the association between body mass index at diagnosis and survival in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma remains unclear.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 411 peripheral T-cell lymphoma patients from January 2010 to July 2017. Patients were stratified by body mass index into low body mass index (<24.0 kg/m2) and high body mass index (≥24.0 kg/m2) groups. We mainly used Cox modelling and the Kaplan-Meier method to evaluate survival and other variables.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis demonstrated that body mass index, international prognostic index and triglyceride level were independent prognostic factors of overall survival. Interestingly, patients with high body mass index had significantly longer overall survival (P < 0.01), with 69% of patients alive at 3 years versus 43% in the low body mass index group. Cox analysis showed reduced mortality in the high body mass index group compared with the low body mass index group (hazard ratio = 0.511, 95% CI, 0.309-0.846, P = 0.009). In addition, patients with high body mass index and low international prognostic index had the longest overall survival (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

High body mass index at the time of diagnosis was associated with improved overall survival in Chinese peripheral T-cell lymphoma patients.

Increased body mass index is associated with improved overall survival in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type

OBJECTIVES

The role of body mass index (BMI) in lymphoma survival outcomes is controversial. The prognostic significance of BMI in extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is unclear. We evaluated the prognostic role of BMI in patients with ENKTL.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 742 patients with newly diagnosed ENKTL. The prognostic value of BMI was compared between patients with low BMIs (< 20.0 kg/m2) and patients with high BMIs (≥ 20.0 kg/m2). The prognostic value of the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and the Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) was also evaluated and compared with that of the BMI classification.

RESULTS

Patients with low BMIs tended to exhibit higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) scores (≥ 2) (P = 0.001), more frequent B symptoms (P < 0.001), lower albumin levels (P < 0.001), higher KPI scores (P = 0.03), and lower rates of complete remission (P < 0.001) than patients with high BMIs, as well as inferior progression-free survival (PFS, P = 0.003), and inferior overall survival (OS, P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age > 60 years, mass > 5 cm, stage III/IV, elevated LDH levels, albumin levels < 35 g/L and low BMIs were independent adverse predictors of OS. The BMI classification was found to be superior to the IPI with respect to predicting patient outcomes among low-risk patients and the KPI with respect to distinguishing between intermediate-low- and high-intermediate-risk patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher BMI at the time of diagnosis is associated with improved overall survival in ENKTL. Using the BMI classification may improve the IPI and KPI prognostic models.

Mechanisms underlying the association between obesity and Hodgkin lymphoma

A solid body of knowledge indicates that overweight and obese subjects are prone to develop cancer, aggressive disease, and death more than their lean counterparts. While obesity has been causally associated with various cancers, only a limited number of studies beheld the link with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Contemporary meta-analysis and prospective studies confirmed the association of body mass index with HL. Besides epidemiological evidence, excess adiposity is known to influence tumor behavior through adipokines, adipose-derived stem cell migration, and metabolism regulation, and by modulating immunoinflammatory response. Nevertheless, the obesity paradox has been described in few cancers. Considering that adipose tissue is an immunomodulatory organ, and that inflammation is the cornerstone of HL pathophysiology, the rationale for being causally related due to endocrine/paracrine interactions cannot be negligible. In this hypothesis-generating review, we explore the biologically plausible links between excess adiposity and HL in light of recent basic and clinical data, in order to create a basis for understanding the underlying mechanisms and foster applied research. The establishment of an association of excess adiposity with HL will determine public health preventive measures to fight obesity and eventually novel therapeutic approaches in HL patients.

The role of body mass index in survival outcome for lymphoma patients: US intergroup experience

BACKGROUND

The role of body mass index (BMI) in survival outcomes is controversial among lymphoma patients. We evaluated the association between BMI at study entry and failure-free survival (FFS) and overall survival (OS) in three phase III clinical trials, among patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 537, 730 and 282 patients with DLBCL, HL and FL were included in the analysis. Baseline patient and clinical characteristics, treatment received and clinical outcomes were compared across BMI categories.

RESULTS

Among patients with DLBCL, HL and FL, the median age was 70, 33 and 56; 29%, 29% and 37% were obese and 38%, 27% and 37% were overweight, respectively. Age was significantly different among BMI groups in all three studies. Higher BMI groups tended to have more favorable prognosis factors at study entry among DLBCL and HL patients. BMI was not associated with clinical outcome with P-values of 0.89, 0.30 and 0.40 for FFS, and 0.64, 0.67 and 0.09 for OS, for patients with DLBCL, HL and FL, respectively. The association remains non-significant after adjusting for other clinical factors in the Cox model. A subset analysis of males with DLBCL treated on R-CHOP revealed no differences in FFS (P = 0.48) or OS (P = 0.58).

CONCLUSION

BMI was not significantly associated with clinical outcomes among patients with DLBCL, HD or FL, in three prospective phase III clinical trials. The findings contradict some previous reports of similar investigations. Further work is required to understand the observed discrepancies.

Increased body mass index is associated with improved survival in United States veterans with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

PURPOSE

Obesity increases the risk of death from many malignancies, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). In diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common form of NHL, the association between body mass index (BMI) at diagnosis and survival is unclear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We evaluated the association between BMI at diagnosis and overall survival in a retrospective cohort of 2,534 United States veterans diagnosed with DLBCL between October 1, 1998 and December 31, 2008. Cox modeling was used to control for patient- and disease-related prognostic variables.

RESULTS

Mean age at diagnosis was 68 years (range, 20 to 100 years); 64% of patients were overweight (BMI, 25 to < 30) or obese (BMI, ≥ 30). Obese patients were significantly younger, had significantly fewer B symptoms, and trended toward lower-stage disease, compared with other BMI groups. Cox analysis showed reduced mortality in overweight and obese patients (overweight: hazard ratio [HR], 0.73; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.83; obese: HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.80), compared with normal-weight patients (BMI, 18.5 to < 25). Treatment during the rituximab era reduced the risk of death without affecting the association between BMI and survival. Disease-related weight loss occurred in 29% of patients with weight data 1 year before diagnosis. Cox analysis based on BMI 1 year before diagnosis continued to demonstrate reduced risk of death in overweight and obese patients.

CONCLUSION

Being overweight or obese at the time of DLBCL diagnosis is associated with improved overall survival. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for this association will require further study.

Body size, physical activity, and risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma in women

Few studies have examined the associations of body size and physical activity with the development of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in women. In data from a population-based case-control study in women ages 19 to 79 years, we assessed the relation of self-report height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and strenuous physical activity to HL risk in 312 cases with diagnostic re-review and 325 random-digit dialed controls using logistic regression. Analyses were stratified by age group and tumor cell presence of EBV. After adjustment for social class measures, taller childhood and adult height were associated with higher HL risk. In women ages 19 to 44 years, HL risk was elevated for higher, but healthy, BMI values, whereas in women ages 45 to 79 years, associations with BMI were inverse. The odds of developing HL were lower with participation (versus nonparticipation) in strenuous physical activity in the past year [odds ratio (OR), 0.58; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.39-0.87 in women 19-44 years; OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.19-1.06 in women 45-79 years] and throughout adult life, and with sports team membership (versus nonmembership) in high school and/or at ages 18 to 22 years. Results were similar in cases (n = 269) with and without tumor-cell EBV compared with controls, although the inverse association with physical activity was somewhat stronger for women with EBV-positive disease. These findings show that in women, body size and strenuous physical activity, both modifiable characteristics, are associated with HL risk in adult life possibly through immunologic, infectious, or genetic mechanisms.