ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Because follicular lymphoma (FL) patients have heterogeneous outcomes, the FL international prognostic index (FLIPI) was developed to risk-stratify patients and to predict survival. However, limited data exist regarding the role of FLIPI in the era of routine first-line rituximab (R) and R-chemotherapy regimens and in the setting of community oncology practices. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated the outcome data from the National LymphoCare Study (NLCS), a prospective, observational cohort study, which collects data on patients with FL in the United States (US) community practices. RESULTS: Among 1068 male and 1124 female patients with FLIPI data, most were treated in US community practices (79%); 35% were FLIPI good risk, 30% intermediate risk, and 35% poor risk. FLIPI risk groups were significant predictors of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for patients who undergo watchful waiting (WW), and those who receive non-R-containing regimens, R-alone, and R-chemotherapy combinations. CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of contemporary practice with routine R use, stratifying patients into good, intermediate, and poor FLIPI risk groups predicts distinct outcomes in terms of OS and PFS. FLIPI remains an important prognostic index in the R era and should be used in clinical practices to support discussions about prognosis.
Subject(s)
Lymphoma, Follicular/drug therapy , Lymphoma, Follicular/mortality , Aged , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived/therapeutic use , Cohort Studies , Community Health Centers , Disease-Free Survival , Female , Humans , Lymphoma, Follicular/classification , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Grading , Prospective Studies , Risk Factors , Rituximab , Treatment Outcome , Watchful WaitingABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of tooth wear in adults in Ireland and its relationship with water fluoridation. The National Survey of Adult Oral Health was conducted in 2000/2001. Tooth wear was determined using a partial mouth examination assessing the upper and lower anterior teeth. A total of 2456 subjects were examined. In this survey, increasing levels and severity of tooth wear were associated with ageing. Men were more affected by tooth wear and were more likely to be affected by severe tooth wear than women. It was found that age, and gender were significant predictors of tooth wear (P < 0.01). Overall, there was no significant relationship between fluoridation and tooth wear in this study.