Deep learning model for predicting the survival of patients with primary gastrointestinal lymphoma based on the SEER database and a multicentre external validation cohort

PURPOSE

Due to the rarity of primary gastrointestinal lymphoma (PGIL), the prognostic factors and optimal management of PGIL have not been clearly defined. We aimed to establish prognostic models using a deep learning algorithm for survival prediction.

METHODS

We collected 11,168 PGIL patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to form the training and test cohorts. At the same time, we collected 82 PGIL patients from three medical centres to form the external validation cohort. We constructed a Cox proportional hazards (CoxPH) model, random survival forest (RSF) model, and neural multitask logistic regression (DeepSurv) model to predict PGIL patients' overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year OS rates of PGIL patients in the SEER database were 77.1%, 69.4%, 63.7%, and 50.3%, respectively. The RSF model based on all variables showed that the top three most important variables for predicting OS were age, histological type, and chemotherapy. The independent risk factors for PGIL patient prognosis included sex, age, race, primary site, Ann Arbor stage, histological type, symptom, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, according to the Lasso regression analysis. Using these factors, we built the CoxPH and DeepSurv models. The DeepSurv model's C-index values were 0.760 in the training cohort, 0.742 in the test cohort, and 0.707 in the external validation cohort, which demonstrated that the DeepSurv model performed better compared to the RSF model (0.728) and the CoxPH model (0.724). The DeepSurv model accurately predicted 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year OS. Both calibration curves and decision curve analysis curves demonstrated the superior performance of the DeepSurv model. We developed the DeepSurv model as an online web calculator for survival prediction, which can be accessed at http://124.222.228.112:8501/ .

CONCLUSIONS

This DeepSurv model with external validation is superior to previous studies in predicting short-term and long-term survival and can help us make better-individualized decisions for PGIL patients.

Targeting monoamine oxidase A-regulated tumor-associated macrophage polarization for cancer immunotherapy

Targeting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is a promising strategy to modify the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and improve cancer immunotherapy. Monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) is an enzyme best known for its function in the brain; small molecule MAO inhibitors (MAOIs) are clinically used for treating neurological disorders. Here we observe MAO-A induction in mouse and human TAMs. MAO-A-deficient mice exhibit decreased TAM immunosuppressive functions corresponding with enhanced antitumor immunity. MAOI treatment induces TAM reprogramming and suppresses tumor growth in preclinical mouse syngeneic and human xenograft tumor models. Combining MAOI and anti-PD-1 treatments results in synergistic tumor suppression. Clinical data correlation studies associate high intratumoral MAOA expression with poor patient survival in a broad range of cancers. We further demonstrate that MAO-A promotes TAM immunosuppressive polarization via upregulating oxidative stress. Together, these data identify MAO-A as a critical regulator of TAMs and support repurposing MAOIs for TAM reprogramming to improve cancer immunotherapy.

Evaluating palliative opportunities in pediatric patients with leukemia and lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Despite favorable prognoses, pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies experience significant challenges that may lead to diminished quality of life or family stress. They are less likely to receive subspecialty palliative care (PC) consultation and often undergo intensive end-of-life (EOL) care. We examined "palliative opportunities," or events when the integration of PC would have the greatest impact, present during a patient's hematologic malignancy course and relevant associations.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective review was conducted on patients aged 0-18 years with a hematologic malignancy who died between 1/1/12 and 11/30/17. Demographic, disease, and treatment data were collected. A priori, nine palliative opportunity categories were defined. Descriptive statistics were performed. Palliative opportunities were evaluated over temporal quartiles from diagnosis to death. Timing and rationale of pediatric PC consultation were evaluated.

RESULTS

Patients (n = 92) had a median of 5.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 6.0) palliative opportunities, incurring 522 total opportunities, increasing toward the EOL. Number and type of opportunities did not differ by demographics. PC consultation was most common in patients with lymphoid leukemia (50.9%, 28/55) and myeloid leukemia (48.5%, 16/33) versus lymphoma (0%, 0/4, p = 0.14). Forty-four of ninety-two patients (47.8%) received PC consultation a median of 1.8 months (IQR 4.1) prior to death. Receipt of PC was associated with transplant status (p = 0.0018) and a higher number of prior palliative opportunities (p = 0.0005); 70.3% (367/522) of palliative opportunities occurred without PC.

CONCLUSION

Patients with hematologic malignancies experience many opportunities warranting PC support. Identifying opportunities for ideal timing of PC involvement may benefit patients with hematologic cancers and their caregivers.

MMSE is an independent prognostic factor for survival in primary central nervous system lymphoma

Introduction

To assess the value of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)-score at baseline in predicting survival in adult primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) patients.

Methods

In the HOVON 105/ ALLG NHL 24 phase III study patients with newly-diagnosed PCNSL were randomized between high-dose methotrexate-based chemotherapy with or without rituximab. Data on potential (MMSE-score), and known baseline prognostic factors (age, performance status, serum LDH, cerebrospinal fluid total protein, involvement of deep brain structures, multiple cerebral lesions, and the IELSG-score) were collected prospectively. Multivariable stepwise Cox regression analyses were used to assess the prognostic value of all factors on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among patients with available MMSE score at baseline. Age was analyzed as continuous variable, the MMSE-score both as a continuous and as a categorical variable.

Results

In univariable analysis, age, MMSE-score and whether the patient received rituximab were statistically significantly prognostic factors for PFS. Age and MMSE-score were statistically significantly associated with OS. In a multivariable analysis of the univariately significant factors only MMSE-score was independently associated with the survival endpoints, as a continuous variable (HR for PFS 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.08; OS 1.06 (95% CI 1.02–1.10) and as categorical variable HR (< 27 versus ≥ 27 for PFS 1.55 (1.02–2.35); OS 1.68 (1.05–2.70). In our population, performance status, serum LDH, and CSF protein level were not of prognostic value.

Conclusion

Neurocognitive disturbances, measured with the MMSE at baseline, are an unfavorable prognostic factor for both PFS and OS in adult PCNSL patients up to 70 years-old.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11060-021-03708-8.

Clinical prognosis and bioinformatic analysis of primary thyroid lymphoma

Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a rare malignant disease with the most common histological type of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is closely related to the pathogenesis of PTL. The present study is to explore the clinical prognosis of PTL and analyze the gene correlations between PTL and HT.Thirty-nine patients diagnosed with PTL between 2010 and 2018 in our institute were retrospectively reviewed and clinical features were evaluated on PTL survival. Then, overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between PTL and HT were evaluated for gene ontology, pathways enrichment, protein-protein interaction network analysis. Furthermore, we used gene expression profiling interactive analysis to evaluate the differential expression of these hub genes.In this analysis, International Prognostic Index (IPI) score ≥3 and high β2-MG (>3 mg/L) were associated with worse prognosis in PTL. Notably, a total of 15 both upregulated DEGs in DLBCL and HT were identified and 10 hub genes with a high degree of connectivity were picked out. Among these 10 hub genes, IL6, IL10, CXCL10, and CXCR3 were higher expressed in DLBCL than the normal tissue but have no significant prognosis of DLBCL.High IPI score and high β2-MG level have a poor prognosis in PTL. Besides, IL6, IL10, CXCL10, and CXCR3 are associated with both DLBCL and HT and may be used for the early diagnosis of PTL.

Maternal survival of patients with pregnancy-associated cancers in Taiwan - A national population-based study

Pregnancy-associated cancer (PAC), defined as cancers diagnosed during pregnancy or the first year after delivery, affects one to two in every 1000 pregnancies. Although PAC is expected to be a growing issue, information about PAC in the Asian population is still scarce. Women with cancer diagnosed at the age of 16-49 years between 2001 and 2015 were selected from the Taiwan Cancer Registry and linked with the National Birth Reporting Database to identify PAC patients. We compared the overall survival of patients with PAC to patients without pregnancy. Among 126,646 female cancer patients of childbearing age, 512 were diagnosed during pregnancy, and 2151 during the first postpartum year. Breast cancer was the most common PAC (N = 755, 28%). Compared with patients without pregnancy in the control group, patients with cancers diagnosed during pregnancy and the first postpartum year generally had more advanced stages (odds ratio 1.35 and 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.77 and 1.18-1.57, respectively). For all cancer types combined and controlled for the stage, age, and year of diagnosis, patients with PAC had similar overall survival with those in the control group, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.07 (95% CI 0.80-1.41) for the pregnancy group and HR 1.02 (95% CI 0.88-1.18) for the postpartum group. The diagnosis of breast cancer during the first postpartum year was linked with shorter survival (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.05-1.72). In contrast, patients with postpartum lymphoma (HR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02-0.79) and cervical cancer (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.20-0.82) had better prognosis. In general, the diagnosis of cancer during pregnancy or the first postpartum year does not affect the survival of patients with most cancer types. Exceptions include the worse prognosis of postpartum breast cancer and the better outcome of postpartum lymphoma and cervical cancer.

Diagnosis and treatment of lymphomas in the era of epigenetics

Lymphomas represent a heterogeneous group of cancers characterized by clonal lymphoproliferation. Over the past decades, frequent epigenetic dysregulations have been identified in hematologic malignancies including lymphomas. Many of these impairments occur in genes with established roles and well-known functions in the regulation and maintenance of the epigenome. In hematopoietic cells, these dysfunctions can result in abnormal DNA methylation, erroneous chromatin state and/or altered miRNA expression, affecting many different cellular functions. Nowadays, it is evident that epigenetic dysregulations in lymphoid neoplasms are mainly caused by genetic alterations in genes encoding for enzymes responsible for histone or chromatin modifications. We summarize herein the recent epigenetic modifiers findings in lymphomas. We focus also on the most commonly mutated epigenetic regulators and emphasize on actual epigenetic therapies.

Primary pancreatic lymphoma: Clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome

Primary pancreatic lymphoma (PPL) is a rare disease representing 0.1% of malignant lymphomas, which lacks well-defined diagnostic and therapeutic protocols.

OBJECTIVES

To describe PPL clinical, diagnostic and histological characteristics, together with therapy and outcome, in a relatively large series of patients.

METHODS

The study includes 39 PPL patients, aged ≥15 years, observed from January 2005 to December 2018, in 8 Italian Institutions.

RESULTS

The main symptoms were abdominal pain (58%) and jaundice (47%). Lactate dehydrogenase serum levels were elevated in 43% of patients. Histological specimens were mostly obtained by percutaneous (41%) or endoscopic (36%) biopsy, with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma being the most frequent (69%) histological diagnosis. Chemotherapy was administered alone in 65% of patients, with radiotherapy in 17%, or after surgery in 9%. The 2-year overall survival (OS) was 62%, the 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) 44%. Debulking surgery (with or without chemotherapy) was associated with a significant worse OS. Three (9.4%) of 32 high-grade patients experienced a central nervous system (CNS) relapse.

CONCLUSIONS

PPL is rare, often high-grade, with symptoms and localization similar to other pancreatic malignancies. Biopsy should be the preferred diagnostic method. High-grade PPL should undergo CNS prophylaxis.

LILRB3 (ILT5) is a myeloid cell checkpoint that elicits profound immunomodulation

Despite advances in identifying the key immunoregulatory roles of many of the human leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor (LILR) family members, the function of the inhibitory molecule LILRB3 (ILT5, CD85a, LIR3) remains unclear. Studies indicate a predominant myeloid expression; however, high homology within the LILR family and a relative paucity of reagents have hindered progress toward identifying the function of this receptor. To investigate its function and potential immunomodulatory capacity, a panel of LILRB3-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was generated. LILRB3-specific mAbs bound to discrete epitopes in Ig-like domain 2 or 4. LILRB3 ligation on primary human monocytes by an agonistic mAb resulted in phenotypic and functional changes, leading to potent inhibition of immune responses in vitro, including significant reduction in T cell proliferation. Importantly, agonizing LILRB3 in humanized mice induced tolerance and permitted efficient engraftment of allogeneic cells. Our findings reveal powerful immunosuppressive functions of LILRB3 and identify it as an important myeloid checkpoint receptor.

Durable Survival Outcomes in Primary and Secondary Central Nervous System Lymphoma After High-dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Using a Thiotepa, Busulfan, and Cyclophosphamide Conditioning Regimen

BACKGROUND

High-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been investigated in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with CNS involvement and has shown promising results.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed of 48 consecutive patients who had undergone HDC/ASCT with TBC (thiotepa, busulfan, cyclophosphamide) conditioning for PCNSL (27 patients), secondary CNS lymphoma (SCNSL) (8 patients), or relapsed disease with CNS involvement (13 patients) from July 2006 to December 2017. Of the 27 patients with PCNSL, 21 had undergone ASCT at first complete remission (CR1).

RESULTS

The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 80.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 69.9-92.9) and the 2-year overall survival (OS) rate was 80.1% (95% CI, 69.2%-92.7%) among all patients. The 2-year PFS and OS rate for patients with PCNSL in CR1 was 95.2% (95% CI, 86.6%-100%) and 95.2% (95% CI, 86.6%-100%), respectively. On univariate analysis of the patients with PCNSL, ASCT in CR1 was the only variable statistically significant for outcome (P = .007 for PFS; P = .008 for OS). Among patients with SCNSL or CNS relapse, the 2-year PFS and OS rate were comparable at 75.9% (95% CI, 59.5%-96.8%) and 75.3% (95% CI, 58.6%-98.6%), respectively. The most common side effects were febrile neutropenia (89.6%; of which 66.7% had an infectious etiology identified), nausea/vomiting (85.4%), diarrhea (93.8%), mucositis (89.6%), and electrolyte abnormalities (89.6%). Four patients (8.3%) died of treatment-related overwhelming infection; of these patients, 3 had SCNSL.

CONCLUSION

HDC and ASCT using TBC conditioning for both PCNSL and secondary CNS NHL appears to have encouraging long-term efficacy with manageable side effects.

Graft Cryopreservation Does Not Impact Overall Survival after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Using Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide for Graft-versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant barriers to timely donor evaluation, cell collection, and graft transport for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT). To ensure availability of donor cells on the scheduled date of infusion, many sites now collect cryopreserved grafts before the start of pretransplantation conditioning. Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (ptCY) is an increasingly used approach for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, but the impact of graft cryopreservation on the outcomes of allo-HCT using ptCY is not known. Using the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) database, we compared the outcomes of HCT using cryopreserved versus fresh grafts in patients undergoing HCT for hematologic malignancy with ptCY. We analyzed 274 patients with hematologic malignancy undergoing allo-HCT between 2013 and 2018 with cryopreserved grafts and ptCY. Eighteen patients received bone marrow grafts and 256 received peripheral blood stem cell grafts. These patients were matched for age, graft type, disease risk index (DRI), and propensity score with 1080 patients who underwent allo-HCT with fresh grafts. The propensity score, which is an assessment of the likelihood of receiving a fresh graft versus a cryopreserved graft, was calculated using logistic regression to account for the following: disease histology, Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS), HCT Comorbidity Index, conditioning regimen intensity, donor type, and recipient race. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), non-relapse mortality (NRM), relapse/progression and disease-free survival (DFS). Because of multiple comparisons, only P values <.01 were considered statistically significant. The 2 cohorts (cryopreserved and fresh) were similar in terms of patient age, KPS, diagnosis, DRI, HCT-CI, donor/graft source, and conditioning intensity. One-year probabilities of OS were 71.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 68.3% to 73.8%) with fresh grafts and 70.3% (95% CI, 64.6% to 75.7%) with cryopreserved grafts (P = .81). Corresponding probabilities of OS at 2 years were 60.6% (95% CI, 57.3% to 63.8%) and 58.7% (95% CI, 51.9% to 65.4%) (P = .62). In matched-pair regression analysis, graft cryopreservation was not associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] for cryopreserved versus fresh, 1.05; 95% CI, .86 to 1.29; P = .60). Similarly, rates of neutrophil recovery (HR, .91; 95% CI, .80 to 1.02; P = .12), platelet recovery (HR, .88; 95% CI, .78 to 1.00; P = .05), grade III-IV acute GVHD (HR, .78; 95% CI, .50 to 1.22; P = .27), NRM (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, .86 to 1.55; P = .32) and relapse/progression (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, .97 to 1.50; P = .09) were similar with cryopreserved grafts versus fresh grafts. There were somewhat lower rates of chronic GVHD (HR, 78; 95% CI, .61 to .99; P = .04) and DFS (HR for treatment failure, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.29; P = .04) with graft cryopreservation that were of marginal statistical significance after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Overall, our data indicate that graft cryopreservation does not significantly delay hematopoietic recovery, increase the risk of acute GVHD or NRM, or decrease OS after allo-HCT using ptCY.

Aggressive Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor without Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Gene Rearrangement in the Rectum with Liver Metastasis

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor is a rare intermediate-grade tumor. We herein report the case of an 81-year-old man with rectal ulceration and abnormal retroperitoneal soft tissue with a high serum level of IgG4. The administration of prednisolone reduced the retroperitoneal lesion; however, the rectal ulceration expanded. Surgical resection was performed. A histopathological examination revealed proliferating spindle cells accompanied by inflammatory cells and plasma cells. Liver metastasis emerged two months after surgical resection, and the histology of the proliferating spindle cells sampled by a fine-needle biopsy was similar to that of the rectal tissue. The patient ultimately died of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor.

Lymphoma: Diagnosis and Treatment

Lymphoma is a group of malignant neoplasms of lymphocytes with more than 90 subtypes. It is traditionally classified broadly as non-Hodgkin or Hodgkin lymphoma. Approximately 82,000 new U.S. patients are diagnosed with lymphoma annually. Any tobacco use and obesity are major modifiable risk factors, with genetic, infectious, and inflammatory etiologies also contributing. Lymphoma typically presents as painless adenopathy, with systemic symptoms of fever, unexplained weight loss, and night sweats occurring in more advanced stages of the disease. An open lymph node biopsy is preferred for diagnosis. The Lugano classification system incorporates symptoms and the extent of the disease as shown on positron emission tomography/computed tomography to stage lymphoma, which is then used to determine treatment. Chemotherapy treatment plans differ between the main subtypes of lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is treated with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) with or without rituximab (R-CHOP), bendamustine, and lenalidomide. Hodgkin lymphoma is treated with combined chemotherapy with ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine), Stanford V (a chemotherapy regimen consisting of mechlorethamine, doxorubicin, vinblastine, vincristine, bleomycin, etoposide, and prednisone), or BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone) with radiotherapy. Subsequent chemotherapy toxicities include neuropathy, cardiotoxicity, and secondary cancers such as lung and breast, and should be considered in the shared decision-making process to select a treatment regimen. Once remission is achieved, patients need routine surveillance to monitor for complications and relapse, in addition to age-appropriate screenings recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Patients should receive a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine followed by a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at least eight weeks later with additional age-appropriate vaccinations because lymphoma is an immunosuppressive condition. Household contacts should also be current with their immunizations.

Systematic review on the value of end-of-treatment FDG-PET in improving overall survival of lymphoma patients

This study aimed to systematically review the value of end-of-treatment ¹⁸F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in improving overall survival (OS) of lymphoma patients. Medline was systematically searched for (1) randomized trials comparing the OS of patients who underwent end-of-treatment FDG-PET to those without and FDG-PET-based end-of-treatment evaluation and for (2) non-randomized studies comparing the OS of patients who underwent end-of-treatment FDG-PET to a (historical) cohort of patients without an FDG-PET-based end-of-treatment evaluation. The Medline search revealed 6284 articles. However, none of these reported data on the value of end-of-treatment FDG-PET in improving OS of lymphoma patients. In conclusion, the present systematic review reveals that there is currently no study at all that evaluates the value of end-of-treatment FDG-PET in improving OS of lymphoma patients. As a result, it remains unknown whether end-of-treatment FDG-PET increases OS and in which lymphoma subtype these examinations are of particular value. Future studies are required to demonstrate its value in this setting before it can be recommended as an evidence-based diagnostic tool by guidelines on the use of imaging in lymphoma.

Obesity is associated with an impaired survival in lymphoma patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) provides a potentially curative treatment option for relapsed and refractory lymphomas. Obesity displays an emerging epidemic risk factor for global mortality and is associated with an increased mortality in cancer patients. To date, the impact of obesity on the outcome of lymphoma patients undergoing auto-HSCT is understudied. We conducted a retrospective single-center study assessing 119 lymphoma patients who underwent auto-HSCT. Overall survival (OS) served as the primary endpoint whereas progression free survival (PFS), cumulative incidence of non-relapse related mortality (NRM) and cumulative incidence of relapse were analyzed as secondary endpoints. Obese patients (Body mass index, BMI≥30) had significantly lower OS (45.3% vs. 77.9%; p = 0.005) and PFS (29.8% vs. 67.2%; p<0.001) compared to non-obese patients at 48 months post-transplantation. The cumulative incidence of NRM displayed no significant differences while the cumulative incidence of relapse was significantly increased in patients with BMI≥30 (66.2% vs. 21.5%; p<0.001). Patients with a BMI<25 and overweight patients (BMI 25–30; 76.1% vs. 80.9%; p = 0.585), showed no significant difference in OS, whereas patients with BMI≥30 exhibited significant lower OS when compared to either of both groups (76.1% vs. 45.3%; p = .0.021 and 80.9% vs. 45.3%; p = 0.010). Furthermore, in a multivariate analysis, obesity was identified as an independent risk factor for death (Hazard ratio 2.231; 95% CI 1.024 to 4.860; p = 0.043). Further studies are needed to evaluate the reasons for the higher relapse rate causing higher mortality in obese patients.

Impact of the Conditioning Regimen Dose Intensity Before Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation on the Pulmonary Function Test Abnormalities in Patients With Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma: Single Center Experience

BACKGROUND

Most studies addressing the impact of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) on pulmonary function test (PFT), and the various factors affecting that impact have been performed on the allogenic type. Few have addressed PFT changes in autologous SCT. This study describes PFT changes seen in autologous SCT recipients and addresses the various factors impacting these changes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed the medical records of 223 consecutive adult autologous SCT recipients. We collected pre-transplant and post-transplant data, as well as PFT data and long-term mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 123 patients with lymphoma receiving the BEAM (carmustine, etoposide, aracytin, and melphalan) conditioning regimen had a significant 5% drop in mean forced vital capacity and total lung capacity but no significant change in forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity ratio nor in diffusion lung capacity of carbon monoxide adjusted to volume. Fifteen percent of the patients with lymphoma had a clinically significant drop of 15% in their lung volume parameters. The patients with multiple myeloma receiving the melphalan conditioning regimen had no significant change in any of the PFT parameters. Smoking, baseline PFT parameters, and radiation did not affect lung function or mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Autologous SCT impact on lung function depends on the disease and conditioning regimen. It leads to a drop in lung volumes but no obstruction or decrease in diffusion in patients with lymphoma receiving the BEAM regimen. Autologous SCT did not affect lung functions in patients with multiple myeloma, and these patients may not need screening PFTs.

Maximizing the effectiveness of oral therapies in lymphoid cancers: research gaps and unmet needs

Oral therapies have become a common treatment choice for several lymphoid cancers. While therapeutic efficacy and patient preference for this therapy type have been reported, there is a lack of knowledge about its effectiveness for lymphoma in clinical practice, particularly in regard to the effects of medication nonadherence. While studies of oral medications in other diseases have shown that adherence is a major factor in outcomes and costs, there is scant research investigating adherence specifically in lymphoma patients, who face unique challenges in their diseases and treatments. To address the limited data available, we constructed a conceptual model and highlighted key opportunities for future research to better elucidate oral therapy adherence in lymphoma. This research will hopefully improve understanding and efficacy of oral treatment for lymphoma patients, while also informing other cancers utilizing oral therapies currently and in the future.

Targeting glycogen synthase kinase 3 for therapeutic benefit in lymphoma

Targeting the B-cell receptor and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/mTOR signaling pathways has shown meaningful, but incomplete, antitumor activity in lymphoma. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) α and β are 2 homologous and functionally overlapping serine/threonine kinases that phosphorylate multiple protein substrates in several key signaling pathways. To date, no agent targeting GSK3 has been approved for lymphoma therapy. We show that lymphoma cells abundantly express GSK3α and GSK3β compared with normal B and T lymphocytes at the messenger RNA and protein levels. Utilizing a new GSK3 inhibitor 9-ING-41 and by genetic deletion of GSK3α and GSK3β genes using CRISPR/CAS9 knockout, GSK3 was demonstrated to be functionally important to lymphoma cell growth and proliferation. GSK3β binds to centrosomes and microtubules, and lymphoma cells treated with 9-ING-41 become arrested in mitotic prophase, supporting the notion that GSK3β is necessary for the progression of mitosis. By analyzing recently published RNA sequencing data on 234 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients, we found that higher expression of GSK3α or GSK3β correlates well with shorter overall survival. These data provide rationale for testing GSK3 inhibitors in lymphoma patient trials.

Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Therapy-Related Myelodysplasia after Autologous Transplantation for Lymphoma: A Retrospective Study of the Francophone Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

Therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS) after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a rare complication with no curative option. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) may be considered for eligible patients and has been understudied in t-MDS. We report 47 consecutive patients with t-MDS after an ASCT who underwent allo-HSCT with a median age of 58 years (range, 30 to 71 years) at transplantation and a median follow-up of 22 months (range, 0.7 to 107). The median overall survival (OS) was 6.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 0 to 19 months). OS rates were 45% (29% to 60%) and 30% (15% to 45%) at 1 and 3 years after transplantation, respectively. On univariate analysis, prior therapy for t-MDS before allo-HSCT (P = .02) and mismatched donors (P = .004) were associated with poor OS. Three-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM) and relapse rates were 44% (25% to 63%) and 41% (22% to 61%), respectively. Mismatched donors (P < .001) were associated with higher NRM and a high-risk MDS (P = .008) with a higher relapse risk. On multivariate analysis, HLA mismatch was associated with higher NRM (hazard ratio, 6.21; 95% CI, 1.63 to 23.62; P = .007). In conclusion, our results suggest that one third of the patients who develop t-MDS after an ASCT for lymphoma are cured after an allo-HSCT. The use of mismatched donors with standard graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis should be avoided in such an indication for allo-HSCT. It will be worthwhile to see if the implementation of cyclophosphamide post-transplantation will improve the outcome with mismatched donors.

The impact of rheumatological disorders on lymphomas and myeloma: a report on risk and survival from the UK's population-based Haematological Malignancy Research Network

BACKGROUND

Autoimmune inflammatory disease increases the risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), but findings for other mature B-cell malignancies are equivocal. Furthermore, it has been suggested that the increase in DLBCL is due to the activated B-cell (ABC) subtype; but data on this, and the impact of inflammatory co-morbidities on survival, are sparse and contradictory.

METHODS

Data are from an established UK population-based cohort. Patients (n = 6834) diagnosed between 01/2009 and 08/2015 are included; DLBCL (n = 1771), myeloma (n = 1760), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL, n = 1580), MZL (n = 936), and follicular lymphoma (FL, n = 787). Information on rheumatological disorders and deaths was obtained by record-linkage to nationally compiled Hospital Episode Statistics, with age-and sex-matched individuals (n = 68,340) from the same catchment population (˜4 million people) providing the comparator.

RESULTS

Significantly increased risks for DLBCL (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.8-2.8) and MZL (OR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.5-2.7) were found for those with rheumatological disorders; the site distribution of those with/without rheumatological conditions differing for DLBCL (p = 0.007) and MZL (p = 0.002). No increases in risk were observed for the remaining mature B-cell malignancies, and no associations with survival were detected for DLBCL (age-adjusted HR = 1.2, 95% CI 0.9-1.6) or MZL (age-adjusted HR = 1.0, 95% CI 0.6-1.9). Furthermore, whilst our findings provide evidence for an association with rheumatological disease severity for DLBCL, they offer little support for the notion that the association is driven by an increase in the incidence of the ABC subtype.

CONCLUSION

Our findings support the hypothesis that the chronic activation and proliferation of specific B-cell populations which characterize autoimmune disease increase the potential for the lymphomagenic events that lead to DLBCL and MZL in both males and females; but have no impact on the development of CLL, FL or MM, or on survival.

[Reporting a cluster of lymphohaematopoietic cancers and management of the communication process with the community: the experience of a Local health Authority in Tuscany, Italy]

In 2008, some general practitioners (GPs) in the area of Empoli (Tuscany Region, Central Italy), reported to the Local Health Authority (LHA), an unusually high frequency of leukemia deaths among their patients residing in a one of the municipalities of the area. The LHA decided to carry out an epidemiological investigation. An interdepartmental working group was set up, led by the Department of Prevention of the LHA, and made up of representatives of the Institute for Study, Prevention and Cancer Network (ISPRO, Florence), the G. Monasterio Foundation/ Institute of Clinical Physiology of the National Council for Research (CNR) of Pisa, the University of Pisa, the Regional Environmental Protection Agency and community members. Several epidemiological analyses were carried out (namely incidence and mortality analysis, assessment of the residential history of all cases and micro-geographical incidence evaluation, assessment and quantification of local environmental pressures, evaluation of congenital abnormalities). The investigation took over two years to be completed. The work agenda was shared with community members, who contributed to decision-making, study design and the communication plan. Thanks to the interaction with community members, researchers had the chance to become aware of their information needs and of local knowledge concerning the research issues. The final report was published online and presented to citizens in several public meetings. Direct involvement of the local community during project development was found to be useful to reduce the perceived distance between public authorities and the local population, as highlighted in the guidelines on cancer cluster investigations.

Primary CNS Lymphoma in the Elderly: The Challenge

Primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma is an aggressive brain tumor sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Its incidence has increased in the elderly, and they account for the majority of patients. The median survival of patients older than 70 years did not change over the last 40 years and remained in the range of 6-7 months. The definition of elderly is nonuniform, and chronological age is not the best marker of treatment tolerability or a predictor of treatment-related toxicity. Some patients who are fit can tolerate induction, consolidation, and even high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation, whereas others who have multiple comorbidities with reduced renal and bone marrow function can tolerate only intermediate doses of methotrexate. The latter may benefit from maintenance treatment. The "elderly" are also susceptible to the accelerated and detrimental cognitive side effects of whole-brain irradiation which is an alternative consolidation to high-dose chemotherapy. The optimal treatment remains an unresolved matter. A comprehensive comorbidity and geriatric assessment is imperative for appraisal of treatment-induced risks for CNS and systemic toxicity. An individualized approach is required aiming to prolong survival while minimizing toxicity. Future studies should assess the potential of new agents for improving outcome and maintaining quality of life.

Clinical significance of cancer specific methylation of the CDO1 gene in small bowel cancer

Although small bowel cancer (SBC) is extremely rare, its prognosis is poor, and molecular mechanism of the SBC development remains unclear. The aim of our study is to elucidate whether DNA methylation of the promoter region of the cancer-specific methylation gene, cysteine dioxygenase 1 (CDO1), contributes to the carcinogenic process in SBC. The study group comprised patients with 53 patients with SBC, 107 colorectal cancer (CRC), and other rare tumors of the small intestine such as 4 malignant lymphomas, 2 leiomyosarcomas, and 9 gastrointestinal stromal tumors. We analyzed the extent of methylation in each tissue using quantitative TaqMan methylation-specific PCR for CDO1. Significantly higher CDO1 methylation was observed in cancer tissues compared with non-cancerous mucosa of the small intestine (ROC = 0.96). Among the various clinicopathological factors, positive correlation of CDO1 methylation with tumor diameter was observed (R = 0.31, p = 0.03), and the CDO1 methylation level was a possible prognostic factor for relapse-free survival (p = 0.09). Compared with CRC, SBC had a significantly poorer prognosis (p = 0.007) and displayed a significantly higher CDO1 methylation level (p < 0.0001). Intriguingly, especially in pStage I/II, there were robust prognostic difference between SBC and CRC (p = 0.08 / p < 0.0001), which may reflect CDO1 methylation status (p = 0.02 / p = 0.001). Among small bowel tumors, CDO1 methylation in SBC was higher in order of malignant lymphoma, cancer, and leiomyosarcoma/GIST (p = 0.002) by ANOVA. The CDO1 gene shows extremely cancer-specific hypermethylation, and it can be a prognostic marker in SBC.

Prognostic significance of DAPK promoter methylation in lymphoma: A meta-analysis

We aimed to characterize the clinical significance of epigenetic loss of death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) gene function through promoter methylation in the development and prognosis of lymphoma. PubMed, Web of Science and ProQuest databases were searched for relevant studies. Twelve studies involving 709 patients with lymphoma were identified. The prognostic value of DAPK methylation was expressed as risk ratio (RR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI), while the associations between DAPK methylation and the clinical characteristics of patients with lymphoma were expressed as odd ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% CIs. Meta-analysis showed that the 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in lymphoma patients with hypermethylated DAPK (RR = 0.85, 95% CI (0.73, 0.98), P = 0.025). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated consistent result. However, no associations were found between DAPK methylation and clinicopathological features of lymphoma, in relation to gender (OR = 1.07, 95% CI (0.72, 1.59), P = 0.751), age (OR = 1.01, 95% CI (0.66, 1.55), P = 0.974), international prognostic index (OR = 1.20, 95% CI (0.63, 2.27), P = 0.575), B symptoms (OR = 0.76, 95% CI (0.38, 1.51), P = 0.452), serum lactate dehydrogenase (OR = 1.13, 95% CI (0.62, 2.05), P = 0.683), and BCL-2 expression (OR = 1.55, 95% CI (0.91, 2.66), P = 0.106). Lymphoma patients with hypermethylated DAPK are at risk for poorer 5-year survival rate. DAPK methylation may serve as a negative prognostic biomarker among lymphoma patients, although it may not be associated with the progression of lymphoma.

Surgical treatment of gastric cancer: a 10-year experience in a high-volume university hospital

OBJECTIVES

Surgery remains the cornerstone treatment modality for gastric cancer, the fifth most common type of tumor in Brazil. The aim of this study was to analyze the surgical treatment outcomes of patients with gastric cancer who were referred to a high-volume university hospital.

METHODS

We reviewed all consecutive patients who underwent any surgical procedure due to gastric cancer from a prospectively collected database. Clinicopathological characteristics, surgical and survival outcomes were evaluated, with emphasis on patients treated with curative intent.

RESULTS

From 2008 to 2017, 934 patients with gastric tumors underwent surgical procedures in our center. Gastric adenocarcinoma accounted for the majority of cases. Of the 875 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, resection with curative intent was performed in 63.5%, and palliative treatment was performed in 22.4%. The postoperative surgical mortality rate for resected cases was 5.3% and was related to D1 lymphadenectomy and the presence of comorbidities. Analysis of patients treated with curative intent showed that resection extent, pT category, pN category and final pTNM stage were related to disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The DFS rates for D1 and D2 lymphadenectomy were similar, but D2 lymphadenectomy significantly improved the OS rate. Additionally, clinical factors and the presence of comorbidities had influence on the OS.

CONCLUSIONS

TNM stage and the type of lymphadenectomy were independent factors related to prognosis. Early diagnosis should be sought to offer the optimal surgical approach in patients with less-advanced disease.

The association of physical activity before and after lymphoma diagnosis with survival outcomes

The impact of physical activity (PA) on lymphoma survival is not known. The association of PA and change in PA with overall (OS), lymphoma-specific (LSS) and event-free (EFS) survival was evaluated in a prospective cohort of newly diagnosed lymphoma patients (2002-2012). We calculated Leisure Score Indexes (mLSI) from the self-reported usual adult PA (baseline) and at 3-years post-diagnosis (FU3), grouping patients by active vs insufficiently active by the American Cancer Society PA guidelines. Associations of PA with survival were assessed using hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from Cox models stratified by lymphoma subtype, adjusted for age, sex, baseline BMI, and comorbidity score with change scores further adjusted for baseline PA. Three thousand sixty participants were evaluable at baseline and 1371 at FU3. Active patients had superior survival from baseline [HR (CI): OS 0.82 (0.72-0.94); LSS 0.74 (0.61-0.90); EFS 0.92 (0.82-1.02)] and FU3 [HR (CI): OS 0.64 (0.46-0.88); LSS 0.32 (0.18-0.59); EFS 0.82 (0.61-1.10)] compared to insufficiently active. An increase in mLSI from baseline to FU3 (vs stable mLSI) was associated with superior OS (HR = 0.70, CI 0.49-1.00) and LSS (HR = 0.49, CI 0.26-0.94).The continuous change in mLSI at FU3 was significantly associated with OS, LSS and EFS; maintained across subgroups and appeared linear. Higher PA among lymphoma patients at diagnosis and 3 years is significantly associated with OS, LSS, and EFS. Increasing PA after diagnosis is significantly associated with improved OS and LSS supporting an important role for PA in lymphoma survivorship and the need for intervention trials.

Mutual Risks of Cutaneous Melanoma and Specific Lymphoid Neoplasms: Second Cancer Occurrence and Survival

Background

It is unclear whether the established association between cutaneous melanoma (CM) and lymphoid neoplasms (LNs) differs across LN subtypes. This study quantifies risk for developing CM after specific LNs and, conversely, for developing specific LNs after CM, as well as assessing clinical impact.

Methods

We identified a cohort of Caucasian adults (age 20-83 years) initially diagnosed with CM or LN, as reported to 17 US population-based cancer registries, 2000-2014. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) quantified second cancer risk. We assessed impact of second cancer development on risk of all-cause mortality using Cox regression.

Results

Among 151 949 one-or-more-year survivors of first primary LN, second primary CM risk was statistically significantly elevated after chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SIR = 1.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.74 to 2.21), follicular lymphoma (SIR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.09 to 1.58), and plasma cell neoplasms (SIR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.63). Risks for these same subtypes were statistically significantly elevated among 148 336 survivors of first primary CM (SIR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.25 to 1.66; SIR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.21 to 1.77; SIR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.06 to 1.47; respectively). Risk for CM was statistically significantly elevated after diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (SIR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.45) and Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.33 to 2.26), but the reciprocal relationship was not observed. There were no statistically significant associations between marginal zone lymphoma and CM. Among survivors of most LN subtypes, CM statistically significantly increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] range = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.25 to 1.85, to 2.46, 95% CI = 1.45 to 4.16). Among survivors of CM, LN statistically significantly increased risk of death (HR range = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.15 to 2.65, to 6.28, 95% CI = 5.00 to 7.88), with the highest risks observed for the most aggressive LN subtypes.

Conclusions

Heterogeneous associations between CM and specific LN subtypes provide novel insights into the etiology of these malignancies, with the mutual association between CM and certain LN suggesting shared etiology. Development of second primary CM or LN substantially reduces overall survival.

Outcomes of Patients with Recurrent and Refractory Lymphoma Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation with BEAM Conditioning and Sirolimus- and Tacrolimus-Based GVHD Prophylaxis

The current standard of care for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is high-dose conditioning followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). For some patients (ie, those with highest-risk disease, insufficient stem cell numbers after mobilization, or bone marrow involvement) allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) offers the potential for cure. However, the majority of patients undergoing alloHCT receive reduced-intensity conditioning as a preparative regimen, and studies assessing outcomes of patients after alloHCT with myeloablative conditioning are limited. In this retrospective study, we reviewed outcomes of 22 patients with recurrent and refractory NHL who underwent alloHCT with myeloablative BEAM conditioning and received tacrolimus/sirolimus as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis at City of Hope between 2005 and 2018. With a median follow-up of 2.6 years (range, 1.0 to 11.2 years), the probabilities of 2-year overall survival and event-free survival were 58.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35.0% to 75.8%) and 45.5% (95% CI, 24.4% to 64.3%), respectively. The cumulative incidence of grade II to IV acute GVHD was 45.5% (95% CI, 23.8% to 64.9%), with only 1 patient developing grade IV acute GVHD. However, chronic GVHD was seen in 55% of the patients (n = 12). Of the 22 eligible patients, 2 had undergone previous ASCT and 2 had undergone previous alloHCT. Both patients with previous ASCT developed severe regimen-related toxicity. Patients who underwent alloHCT with chemorefractory disease had lower survival rates, with 1-year OS and EFS of 44.4% and 33.0%, respectively. In conclusion, alloHCT with a BEAM preparative regimen and tacrolimus/sirolimus-based GVHD should be considered as an alternative option for patients with highest-risk lymphoma whose outcomes are expectedly poor after ASCT.

Nationwide overview of survival and management of appendiceal tumors in children

INTRODUCTION

There remains a paucity of literature on survival related to pediatric appendiceal tumors. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence, surgical management, and survival outcomes of appendiceal tumors in pediatric patients.

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Registry was analyzed for pediatric appendiceal tumors from 1973 to 2011. Parameters analyzed were: tumor type, surgical management (appendectomy vs. extensive resection), tumor size, and lymph node sampling. Chi-square analysis for categorical and Student's t test for continuous data were used.

RESULTS

Overall, 209 patients had an appendiceal tumor, including carcinoid (72%), appendiceal adenocarcinoma (16%), and lymphoma (12%). Patients undergoing appendectomy vs. extensive resection had similar 15-year survival rates (98% vs. 97%; p=0.875). Appendectomy vs. extensive resection conferred no 15-year survival advantage when patients were stratified by tumor type, including adenocarcinoma (87% vs. 89%; p=0.791), carcinoid (100% vs. 100%; p=0.863), and lymphoma (94% vs. 100%; p=0.639). There was no significant difference in 15-year survival between tumor size groups ≥2 and <2cm (both 100%) and presence or absence of lymph node sampling (96% and 97%; p=0.833) for all patients with a carcinoid tumor.

CONCLUSION

Appendectomy may be adequate for pediatric appendiceal tumors. Extensive resection may be of limited utility for optimizing patient survival, placing patient at greater operative risk.

TYPE OF STUDY

Retrospective Prognostic Study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Malignancy Risk and Recurrence with Psoriasis and its Treatments: A Concise Update

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory cutaneous disease that affects approximately 120 million people worldwide. Systemic treatments have significantly improved disease burden, but concerns persist regarding their association with increased risk of malignancy. Patients with psoriasis have a slightly elevated baseline risk of lymphoproliferative diseases. Studies on methotrexate and cyclosporine, as well as older biological agents such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, have found no increased risk of non-cutaneous solid tumors; however, positive associations between cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas and certain therapies have been found. There is conflicting evidence regarding the risk of lymphoma and melanoma. Further studies are needed to determine the long-term safety of newer psoriasis treatments (interleukin [IL]-12/23, IL-17, Janus kinase 1/3, and phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors), specifically their safety in patients with a history of cancer. This review summarizes the most recent studies on malignancy risk from psoriasis, and its treatments in patients and cancer survivors, with the highest available level of evidence.

Serum Copper Level in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas

Serum copper level (SCL) was studied by the atomic absorption technique in 103 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. SCL was increased in 61 % of patients at diagnosis or during active disease; values within normal range were found in 88 % of patients in complete remission. The difference between mean SCL during active disease and in remission was highly significant, independently of stage and histologic type, so that: a) Within the same clinical stage high SCL at diagnosis was associated with poorer response to therapy in stage II and stage III (respectively P = 0.033 and P = 0.049), but not in stage IV, where the complete remissions were only 8 out of 42. A shorter 5-year survival was also shown in stages III and IV with high SCL at diagnosis (respectively P < 0.025 and P < 0.05), but not in stage II where the deaths were only 3 out of 24. b) Within histologic types, SCL is a useful prognostic index of response to therapy and survival, although a statistically significant difference was only reached for poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma. We conclude that SCL may be a good parameter of disease activity and a useful index of response to therapy and survival in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Low-Grade Malignancy Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas: Prognostic Relevance of their Clinicopathologic Heterogeneity

We reviewed 182 consecutive adult patients with low-grade malignancy, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas classified according to the Kiel classification, followed at the Division of Hematology, Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, from January 1975 to December 1981, to recognize, in each histopathologic type, important subgroups from the prognostic standpoint. Median follow-up was 36 months. No significant differences were observed in the response rate to conventional therapy (radiotherapy for localized disease, CVP for advanced stages) between the 4 cytologic types. The centrocytic-centroblastic lymphoma with diffuse nodal architecture showed an intermediate-grade malignancy (median survival, 50 months) and underwent cytologic progression to the high-grade malignancy centroblastic type in 10% of the cases. Large-cell centrocytic and polymorphic lymphoplasmacytoid lymphomas had a poor prognosis (median survival less than 30 months) when treated with conventional therapy for favorable histologies, and 6% of the cases transformed into the high-malignancy immunoblastic type. Patients with lymphocytic lymphoma with bulky mediastinum had a median survival of 20 months. The identification of these subgroups with a worse prognosis may have therapeutic implications.

Combination Chemotherapy with Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, Vincristine and Prednisone (CHOP) for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas with Unfavorable Histology: Preliminary Results

From January 1978 to June 1979, 29 selected, previously untreated patients with unfavorable histology of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (12 DPDL, 7 DM, 9 DH and 1 DU) were submitted to the combination chemotherapy CHOP (cyclophosphamide, 750 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1; adriamycin, 50 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1; vincristine, 1.4 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1, and prednisone, 100 mg p.o. on day 1 through 5) every 21 days. Eighteen patients were in early stage (I or II) and 11 of them were also submitted to involved field radiotherapy (60Co), immediately before (stage I) or during (stage II) the chemotherapy, with a mean dosage of 4,500 rad. The remaining 11 patients were in advanced stage (III or IV) of disease and were treated with chemotherapy alone. We obtained 20 complete remissions (68%), 8 partial remissions (28 %) and 1 no response (4 %) to therapy. Sixteen of 18 patients (89 %) in early stages and 4 of 11 patients (36 %) in advanced stages achieved a complete remission. The bone marrow toxicity of the chemotherapy was moderate. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea were frequent but well controlled by the support therapy. The actuarial survival rate of patients, after 18 months of follow-up, is 41 % (40 % in complete remission). The patients who achieved a complete remission are all alive and 65 % of them still relapse free. We believe that the combination chemotherapy CHOP improves the complete remission rate as well as the survival of patients with unfavorable histology of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

Combination Chemotherapy (CVP or Chop)-Radiotherapy Approach in Early Stage Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas

From January 1978 to December 1980, 42 patients with early stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma other than of the gastrointestinal tract were treated with radiotherapy and combination chemotherapy. Eighteen patients in stage I were submitted to locally extended-field radiotherapy up to a mean dose of 48 Gy with a Co60 source and, after a 3-week rest period, to 6 cycles of combination chemotherapy. Twenty-four patients in stage II received 3 cycles of combination chemotherapy before and after irradiation, the same as for stage I. Combination chemotherapy consisted of cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone (CVP) for 15 cases with favorable histology (3 NWDL, 1 NPDI, 11 DWDL), whereas it included cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP) for 27 cases with unfavorable histology (20 DPDL, 3 DM, 4 DH). Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 35/42 (83%) patients, with a highly significant difference between stage I (100%) and stage II (71%). After 42 months of follow-up, the probability of survival for all patients was 72%. Survival was better for stage I (88%) than for stage II (68%) and for favorable histology (87%) as compared to unfavorable histology (70%). Furthermore, survival was highly influenced by response to therapy. Indeed, actuarial survival rate for CR was 91% as compared to a median survival time of 10.2 months for the remaining patients. Four patients, all with poor histology, relapsed after 5–24 (mean 11) months of CR. Only one of them had an extension in extranodal sites and eventually died, despite the salvage treatment utilized. In our experience, locally extended-field irradiation combined with chemotherapy gave a high proportion of CR and seemed to prevent relapses, particularly in extranodal sites.

Primary Lymphomas of the Brain: A Clinico-Pathologic Review of 37 Cases

The clinico-pathologic data of 37 primary lymphomas of the brain were retrospectively reviewed. The tumors were classified according to the Kiel classification and the Working Formulation System. They represented 1.02% of all primary intracranial tumors of our series. The radiologic prediction appeared to be difficult: the suspicion was maximal when the absence of pathologic vessels at angiography occurred in a meningioma-like lesion at CT. Median survival was 4.53 months in the 16 cases who underwent surgery only versus 25.7 months in the 8 cases operated and irradiated with 40-60 Gy (p < 0.01). The prognosis of lymphomas of the CNS, even if radioresponsive tumors, remains poor. Most patients relapse after treatment, most often locally in the brain, with a variable frequency of spinal or systemic localization.

Abdominal Lymphoma - the Place for Surgery

Gastrointestinal lymphoma (GIL) is rare but may be cured by surgery and chemotherapy. Because symptoms frequently mimic common abdominal conditions, presentation is often to a surgeon. Fiftyfive patients with GIL were treated between 1975 and 1984: all underwent operations before the correct diagnosis was made, 22 (40%) as emergencies. Misdiagnosis in 23 (42%) led to a delay in correct treatment of ≥ 6 months from the start of symptoms: in 17 (31%) the delay was ≥ one year. Endoscopy and radiology were inaccurate and suggested peptic ulceration, Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome. The site of disease was usually stomach and duodenum (26, 47%) or ileum and jejunum (29, 53%). The extent of surgical resection was associated with survival at ≥3 years - in 16 (29%) who underwent ‘complete resection’ 14 survived, but only one of 28 survived when the operation was limited to diagnostic biopsy (P < 0.0001). Most deaths occurred within one year of operation, commonlyfrom perforation or haematemesis from residual mural disease during chemotherapy. In 5 of 11 patients who had biopsy only, CT scans suggested localized disease, and ‘complete resection’ was achieved at a second laparotomy. Complete resection should be attempted wherever possible before chemotherapy. The place for surgeons with experience is clearly central to the management of this disease.

Association of Soluble Interleukin-2 Receptor and C-Reactive Protein with the Efficacy of Bendamustine Salvage Treatment for Indolent Lymphomas and Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Bendamustine has demonstrated favourable efficacy in relapsed or refractory indolent lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma. We retrospectively evaluated the pre-treatment clinical and laboratory factors and their correlation with the clinical outcome of these lymphomas. We analysed 53 patients who had been treated with bendamustine alone (n = 6) or rituximab plus bendamustine (n = 47). The overall response rate was 81.1%, with a complete response (CR) rate of 39.6%. The CR rate was significantly low in patients who had elevated levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (p = 0.024) and C-reactive protein (CRP; p = 0.004). The 1-year overall survival (OS) rate was 79.3%. An elevated CRP was associated with a short OS (p = 0.056). The present findings suggest that the lymphoma microenvironment and immune response were involved in the effects of bendamustine. These findings are also important in order to understand the pathophysiology of refractory lymphoma and to find effective strategies using bendamustine.

The clinical manifestation, survival outcome and predictive prognostic factors of 137 patients with primary gastrointestinal lymphoma (PGIL): Strobe compliant

This retrospective study aimed to investigate clinical characteristics and prognostic factors in patients with primary gastrointestinal lymphoma (PGIL) of Chinese population.From January 2001 to December 2015, 137 patients diagnosed with PGIL were recruited. The clinical features, treatment, and follow-up information were analysed.The median patient age was 62.3 years. With 18.47 months follow-up, the 2-year progress-free survival and overall survival rate was 74.9% and 75.5%, respectively. The overall response rate was 33.6%. Age≥60 years, advanced Lugano staging (≥stage IIE), elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, ≥2 extra-nodal involved sites, National Comprehensive Cancer Network International Prognostic Index (NCCN-IPI)≥4, Ki-67≥50% were associated with worse prognosis in univariate analysis (P < .05). By multivariate analyses, we determined that the involvement of extra-nodal involved sites was the only statistically significant poor prognostic factor in PGIL.Age, staging, LDH levels, NCCN-IPI, Ki-67 especially involvement of multiple extra-nodal sites were associated with poor overall survival of PGIL.

Prevalence and mortality of chronic kidney disease in lymphoma patients: A large retrospective cohort study

In patients with lymphoma, an important issue that has been recognized is renal involvement, including glomerulonephritis, acute kidney injury, and lymphoma infiltrating the kidney. However, the prevalence and mortality of chronic kidney disease (CKD) have not been fully understood in lymphoma patients. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of CKD and its impact on mortality in those patients.This was a retrospective cohort study of 429 consecutive lymphoma patients who were admitted or regularly visited our hospital from January 2013 to October 2016. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m and/or proteinuria ≥ 1+ that was sustained for at least 3 months. The prevalence of CKD at enrollment was evaluated according to the modified CKD classification by Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) (eGFR and proteinuria category). Dipstick proteinuria was classified into 3 grades: A1 for - and ±; A2 for 1+ or 2+; and A3 for ≥3+. The eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m) was classified into 6 stages: G1 for ≥90, G2 for 60 to 89, G3a for 45 to 59, G3b for 30 to 44, G4 for 15 to 29, and G5 for <15. The cumulative mortality rate was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, with stratification into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of CKD. Furthermore, a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) for all-cause mortality, after adjustments for age, sex, pathologic type, clinical stage of lymphoma, presence or absence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.The mean follow-up period was 3.06 ± 0.96 years, and the prevalence of CKD at study enrollment was 34.5%. The cumulative mortality rate was 20.7%, and was significantly higher in the CKD group than in the group without CKD (36.4% vs 18.0%, P = .02). Multivariate analysis found mortality to be significantly associated with CKD (HR 1.58; 95% CI, 1.01-2.46), and this association was the most robust with very high-risk CKD (HR 6.94; 95% CI, 2.50-17.33).The prevalence of CKD in lymphoma patients was high. CKD should be considered an independent risk factor for mortality among patients with lymphoma.

Checkpoint inhibition in lymphoma

Checkpoint inhibition improves surveillance by the immune system and therefore outcomes in some lymphoma subtypes. In this review, we examine the available evidence regarding checkpoint inhibition in lymphoma by line of therapy. Although most published studies are in the setting of relapsed/refractory disease, several ongoing trials are looking at therapy in the upfront and second-line settings. Nivolumab and pembrolizumab have been approved for patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma, whereas other programmed death 1 and programmed death ligand 1 monoclonal antibodies remain under investigation as single agents or in combination. Strategies to exploit various targets along these pathways with new forms of therapy or with traditional therapies are being developed. Amplification of chromosome 9p23-24 and other biomarkers are important correlative endpoints in several studies that could further the personalization of therapy. Immune-related adverse events are frequent, and vigilance is required for their diagnosis and treatment. The use of checkpoint inhibitors before and after allogeneic transplant can yield impressive results but can also increase the risk for graft-versus-host disease, so that mitigation strategies are needed. Overall, these agents have achieved excellent response rates with durable remissions in many lymphoma subtypes. The results of ongoing trials will yield additional options for patients.

Mortality and survival patterns of childhood lymphomas: geographic and age-specific patterns in Southern-Eastern European and SEER/US registration data

Childhood (0-14 years) lymphomas, nowadays, present a highly curable malignancy compared with other types of cancer. We used readily available cancer registration data to assess mortality and survival disparities among children residing in Southern-Eastern European (SEE) countries and those in the United States. Average age-standardized mortality rates and time trends of Hodgkin (HL) and non-Hodgkin (NHL; including Burkitt [BL]) lymphomas in 14 SEE cancer registries (1990-2014) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER, United States; 1990-2012) were calculated. Survival patterns in a total of 8918 cases distinguishing also BL were assessed through Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression models. Variable, rather decreasing, mortality trends were noted among SEE. Rates were overall higher than that in SEER (1.02/106 ), which presented a sizeable (-4.8%, P = .0001) annual change. Additionally, remarkable survival improvements were manifested in SEER (10 years: 96%, 86%, and 90% for HL, NHL, and BL, respectively), whereas diverse, still lower, rates were noted in SEE. Non-HL was associated with a poorer outcome and an amphi-directional age-specific pattern; specifically, prognosis was inferior in children younger than 5 years than in those who are 10 to 14 years old from SEE (hazard ratio 1.58, 95% confidence interval 1.28-1.96) and superior in children who are 5 to 9 years old from SEER/United States (hazard ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.46-0.88) than in those who are 10 to 14 years old. In conclusion, higher SEE lymphoma mortality rates than those in SEER, but overall decreasing trends, were found. Despite significant survival gains among developed countries, there are still substantial geographic, disease subtype-specific, and age-specific outcome disparities pointing to persisting gaps in the implementation of new treatment modalities and indicating further research needs.

Minimal Residual Disease Assessment in Lymphoma: Methods and Applications

Standard methods for disease response assessment in patients with lymphoma, including positron emission tomography and computed tomography scans, are imperfect. In other hematologic malignancies, particularly leukemias, the ability to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) is increasingly influencing treatment paradigms. However, in many subtypes of lymphoma, the application of MRD assessment techniques, like flow cytometry or polymerase chain reaction-based methods, has been challenging because of the absence of readily detected circulating disease or canonic chromosomal translocations. Newer MRD detection methods that use next-generation sequencing have yielded promising results in a number of lymphoma subtypes, fueling the hope that MRD detection may soon be applicable in clinical practice for most patients with lymphoma. MRD assessment can provide real-time information about tumor burden and response to therapy, noninvasive genomic profiling, and monitoring of clonal dynamics, allowing for many possible applications that could significantly affect the care of patients with lymphoma. Further validation of MRD assessment methods, including the incorporation of MRD assessment into clinical trials in patients with lymphoma, will be critical to determine how best to deploy MRD testing in routine practice and whether MRD assessment can ultimately bring us closer to the goal of personalized lymphoma care. In this review article, we describe the methods available for detecting MRD in patients with lymphoma and their relative advantages and disadvantages. We discuss preliminary results supporting the potential applications for MRD testing in the care of patients with lymphoma and strategies for including MRD assessment in lymphoma clinical trials.

Combined Haploidentical and Umbilical Cord Blood Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for High-Risk Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Limited studies have reported on outcomes for lymphoid malignancy patients receiving alternative donor allogeneic stem cell transplants. We have previously described combining CD34-selected haploidentical grafts with umbilical cord blood (haplo-cord) to accelerate neutrophil and platelet engraftment. Here, we examine the outcome of patients with lymphoid malignancies undergoing haplo-cord transplantation at the University of Chicago and Weill Cornell Medical College. We analyzed 42 lymphoma and chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (CLL) patients who underwent haplo-cord allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Patients underwent transplant for Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 9, 21%), CLL (n = 5, 12%) and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (n = 28, 67%), including 13 T cell lymphomas. Twenty-four patients (52%) had 3 or more lines of therapies. Six (14%) and 1 (2%) patients had prior autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplant, respectively. At the time of transplant 12 patients (29%) were in complete remission, 18 had chemotherapy-sensitive disease, and 12 patients had chemotherapy-resistant disease. Seven (17%), 11 (26%), and 24 (57%) patients had low, intermediate, and high disease risk index before transplant. Comorbidity index was evenly distributed among 3 groups, with 13 (31%), 14 (33%), and 15 (36%) patients scoring 0, 1 to 2, and ≥3. Median age for the cohort was 49 years (range, 23 to 71). All patients received fludarabine/melphalan/antithymocyte globulin conditioning regimen and post-transplant graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. The median time to neutrophil engraftment was 11 days (range, 9 to 60) and to platelet engraftment 19.5 days (range, 11 to 88). Cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality was 11.6% at 100 days and 19 % at one year. Cumulative incidence of relapse was 9.3% at 100 days and 19% at one year. With a median follow-up of survivors of 42 months, the 3-year rates of GVHD relapse free survival, progression-free survival, and overall survival were 53%, 62%, and 65%, respectively, for these patients. Only 8% of the survivors had chronic GVHD. In conclusion, haplo-cord transplantation offers a transplant alternative for patients with recurrent or refractory lymphoid malignancies who lack matching donors. Both neutrophil and platelet count recovery is rapid, nonrelapse mortality is limited, excellent disease control can be achieved, and the incidence of chronic GVHD is limited. Thus, haplo-cord achieves high rates of engraftment and encouraging results.

Craniospinal irradiation prior to stem cell transplant for hematologic malignancies with CNS involvement: Effectiveness and toxicity after photon or proton treatment

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) improves local control of leukemia/lymphoma with central nervous system (CNS) involvement; however, for adult patients anticipating stem cell transplant (SCT), cumulative treatment toxicity is a major concern. We evaluated toxicities and outcomes for patients receiving proton or photon CSI before SCT.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We identified 37 consecutive leukemia/lymphoma patients with CNS involvement who received CSI before SCT at our institution. Photon versus proton toxicities during CSI, transplant, and through 100 days posttransplant were compared using Fisher exact and Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Long-term neurotoxicity, disease response, and overall survival were analyzed.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven patients (23 photon, 14 proton) underwent CSI for CNS involvement of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (49%), acute myeloblastic leukemia (22%), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (3%), chronic myelocytic leukemia (14%), lymphoma (11%), and myeloma (3%). CSI was used for consolidation (30 patients, 81%) and gross disease treatment (7 patients, 19%). Median radiation dose (interquartile range) was 24 Gy (23.4-24) for photons and 21.8 Gy (21.3-23.6) for protons (P = .03). Proton CSI was associated with lower rates of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group grade 1-3 mucositis during CSI (7% vs 44%, P = .03): 1 grade 3 with protons versus 5 grade 1, 3 grade 2, and 2 grade 3 with photons. During CSI, other toxicities (infection, gastrointestinal symptoms) did not differ. Allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) was used in 95% of patients, with 53% of patients in remission before SCT. Myeloablative conditioning was used for 76%. During SCT admission and 100 days post-SCT, toxicities did not differ by CSI technique. Successful engraftment occurred in 95% of patients (P = .67). Progression or death occurred for 47% of patients, with only 1 CNS relapse.

CONCLUSION

In our cohort, CSI offered excellent local control for CNS-involved hematologic malignancies in the pre-SCT setting. Acute mucositis occurred less frequently with proton CSI with comparable peritransplant/long-term toxicity profile, suggesting the need to further explore the benefit/toxicity profile of this technique.

Survival and predictors of death in people with HIV-associated lymphoma compared to those with a diagnosis of lymphoma in general population

OBJECTIVES

to compare overall survival in HIV-associated lymphoma (HIV-L) and lymphoma raising in HIV-negative population (nHIV-L) and to identify predictors of increased risk of death.

METHODS

All HIV+ patients with HIV-associated lymphoma (Hodgkin lymphoma, HL; non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, NHL) observed between 1.2000 and 12.2013 in the ICONA Foundation Study cohort or in three collaborating centres, and, as control group, nHIV-L individuals followed in one of the four collaborating centres over the same time period, were included. Survival estimates were calculated by use of Kaplan-Meier (KM) and multivariable Cox regression models.

RESULTS

1,331 pts were included (465 HIV-L, 866 nHIV-L): 909 (68%) NHL, 422 (32%) HL. 3 years-cumulative probability (95% confidence interval, CI) of death was higher in HIV-L compared to nHIV-L in NHL (38% (33-44) vs. 22% (19-26); p<0.001), and HL (22% [15-29] vs. 10% (6-13), p<0.001). Among HL, HIV was associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.37 [95% CI: 1.24-4.55], p = 0.009) independently of calendar year, age, gender, type of chemotherapy and stage; in NHL, HIV was no longer an independent predictor of death after controlling for rituximab use and IPI (HR = 1.26 (0.97-1.63), p = 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis shows a reduced overall survival in HIV+ patients diagnosed with lymphoma compared to HIV-negative controls. Whereas in HIV people with HL, the increased risk of death was confirmed even after adjustment for main confounders, the association between HIV status and survival in NHL appears to be somewhat attenuated after controlling for more aggressive presentation and lower frequency of rituximab use in HIV-+ people.

Delayed Development of Hemolytic Anemia with Fragmented Red Blood Cells and Cardiac and Renal Impairments after High-Dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Malignant Lymphoma

Among 42 consecutive patients with malignant lymphoma who underwent high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), 5 developed hemolytic anemia with fragmented red blood cells (HA-FrRBCs) on days 87-125 (median 107) of AHSCT. Nadir Hb levels ranged between 5.0 and 6.4 g/dL with 2.2-5.6% FrRBCs. All patients developed grade ≥3 hypoxia and heart failure, and 4 developed grade ≥3 hypertension. The ejection fraction of the left ventricle assessed by echocardiography was significantly reduced in 3 patients. Peak creatinine levels were >4 times above the baseline and estimated glomerular filtration rates were reduced to <30 mL/min/1.73 m2. One patient received plasma exchange, while the remaining 4 responded to treatment with diuretics and cardiovascular agents. Hematological parameters normalized within a median duration of 91 days after the development of HA-FrRBCs. Renal and cardiac functions gradually improved, even though renal function did not return to the baseline. HA-FrRBCs associated with cardiac and renal impairments may represent a thrombotic microangiopathy syndrome and are a delayed complication of HDC/AHSCT. The close monitoring of laboratory abnormalities and persistent treatment with cardiovascular agents and diuretics are the mainstay for the management of this condition.

[Surgical treatment and prognostic analysis for 57 patients with gastrointestinal lymphoma]

OBJECTIVE

To explore clinicopathologic characteristics, surgical features and prognostic factors in patients with primary gastrointestinal lymphoma(PGIL) in order to provide evidence for optimizing surgical treatment.

METHODS

Clinicopathological data of 57 PGIL patients undergoing abdominal surgery in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between October 1990 and January 2015 were retrospectively collected. The survival rates were compared among patients with different clinicopathologic characteristics by Kaplan-Meier method, while Cox regression model was employed to analyze the prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Among 57 patients, 43 were male and 14 were female, with a median age of 48 (range 16 to 80) years. Seventeen (29.8%) cases were classified as Musshoff I( stage, 19 (33.3%) cases as II( stage, 9 (15.8%) cases as III( stage, and 12(21.1%) cases as IIII( stage. Forty-four (77.2%) cases underwent selective operation, 13(22.8%) cases underwent emergent operation due to acute abdomen. Thirty-two(56.1%) cases had radical resection, 18 (31.6%) cases had partial resection and the rest 7(12.3%) cases failed to perform resection. Four (7.0%) cases received simple surgical operation, and 53 (93.0%) cases received comprehensive treatment, including 5(8.8%) cases with preoperative chemotherapy and surgery, 40 (70.2%) cases with surgery and postoperative chemotherapy, and 8 (14.0%) cases with surgery and perioperative chemotherapy. Stage III( and IIII( accounted for 76.9%(10/13) in patients undergoing emergent operation and accounted for 25.0%(11/44) in patients undergoing selective operation, whose difference was statistically significant (χ²=9.503, P=0.002). Univariate prognostic analysis showed that T lymphocyte source pathological cell phenotype (P=0.000), clinical Musshoff stage III( and IIII((P=0.001), emergent operation (P=0.000) and incomplete tumor resection(P=0.007) had worse 5-year overall survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that tumor pathological cell phenotype (HR=13.75, 95%CI:3.546-53.308, P=0.000) and surgical timing (HR=7.497, 95%CI:1.163-48.313, P=0.034) were independent prognostic risk factors of patients with stage I( and II(.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical operation is an important part of comprehensive treatment for PGIL. T lymphocyte source and ulcerative lymphoma indicates poorer prognosis.

Long-term time trends in incidence, survival and mortality of lymphomas by subtype among adults in Manitoba, Canada: a population-based study using cancer registry data

OBJECTIVE

To examine 30-year time trends in incidence, survival and mortality of lymphomas by subtype in Manitoba, Canada.

METHODS

Lymphoma cases diagnosed between 1984 and 2013 were classified according to the 2008 WHO classification system for lymphoid neoplasms. Death data (1984-2014) were obtained from the Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency. To examine time trends in incidence and mortality, we used joinpoint regression to estimate annual percentage change and average annual percentage change. Age-period-cohort modelling was conducted to measure the effects of age, period and cohort on incidence and mortality time trends. We estimated age-specific and standardised 5-year relative survival and used Poisson regression model to test time trends in relative survival.

RESULTS

Total Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) incidence in men and women was stable during the study period. Age-standardised total non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) incidence increased by 4% annually until around 2000, and the trend varied by sex and NHL subtype. Total HL mortality continuously declined (by 2.5% annually in men and by 2.7% annually in women), while total NHL mortality increased (by 4.4% annually in men until 1998 and by 3.2% annually in women until 2001) and then declined (by 3.6% annually in men and by 2.5% annually in women). Age-standardised 5-year relative survival for HL improved from 72.6% in 1984-1993 to 85.8% in 2004-2013, and for NHL from 57.0% in 1984-1993 to 67.5% in 2004-2013. Survival improvement was also noted for NHL subtypes, although the extent varied, with the greatest improvement for follicular lymphoma (from 65.3% in 1984-1993 to 87.6% in 2004-2013).

CONCLUSIONS

Time trends were generally consistent with those reported in other jurisdictions in total HL and NHL incidence, but were unique in incidence for HL and for NHL subtypes chronic/small lymphocytic leukaemia/lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. Survival improvements and mortality reductions were seen for HL and NHL in both sexes.