Clinicopathologic Characteristics, Treatment, and Outcomes of Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders: A Single-institution Experience Using 2017 WHO Diagnostic Criteria.

The World Health Organization Classification of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues (WHO 2017) included updated criteria for diagnosis and classification of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs). This study evaluated the clinicopathologic spectrum using WHO 2017 criteria and adult PTLD patients' outcomes over 30 years between 1987 and 2017 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN). Patients were retrospectively reviewed for clinical features, outcomes, and diagnostic pathology material and classified based on WHO 2017 criteria. A total of 227 patients were diagnosed with PTLD, with a median time from transplant to PTLD of 45 months. PTLD occurred >1 year after transplant in 149 (66%) patients. Monomorphic PTLD was the most common subtype (173, 76%), with diffuse large B cell lymphoma as the commonest morphology (n = 137). Epstein-Barr virus was positive in 61% of total cases and 90% of PTLD that developed within 1 year from transplant. The median event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival for the entire cohort were 21 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9-35) and 82 months (95% CI: 39-115), respectively. The EFS or overall survival was not impacted by Epstein-Barr virus status but differed based on WHO subtypes and year of diagnosis. Management changed over time with increased use of rituximab or chemotherapy + immunosuppression reduction as initial therapy. When compared to the matched general population and de novo diffuse large B cell lymphoma, patients not achieving EFS 24 status (no progression/treatment or death within 24 mo of diagnosis) had a worse standardized mortality ratio 16.75 (95% CI: 13.91-20) versus SMR 1.72 (95% CI: 1.26-2.28) in those who achieved EFS24. Cause of death was mostly attributed to non-lymphoma-related causes in those achieving EFS 24.

Clinical manifestations of, diagnostic approach to, and treatment of neurolymphomatosis in the rituximab era.

Neurolymphomatosis (NL) is a rare manifestation of lymphoma, with limited evidence for optimal management. The largest patient series, 50 cases of lymphoma and leukemia, was published in 2010 with limited rituximab exposure. This study aims to evaluate the clinical presentation, diagnostic testing, and outcomes of NL in the rituximab era. Forty biopsy-proven cases of NL, in association with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), at the Mayo Clinic were retrospectively evaluated. B-cell NHL was associated with 97% of NL cases, of which diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most common (68%). Primary NL, defined as neural involvement present at the time of diagnosis of lymphoma, was noted in 52% cases. Seventy percent of patients presented with sensorimotor weakness and neuropathic pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was positive in 100% patients. Overall survival (OS) was significantly better for primary NL and NL associated with indolent lymphomas. Relapses were seen in 60% (24/40) of patients; 75% involved the peripheral or central nervous system at relapse. The use of rituximab in the frontline setting significantly impacted progression-free survival (PFS). Transplant consolidation was noted to be associated with improved OS. This study adds to the available literature on NL in the rituximab era. The overall outcomes have improved in recent years. In our experience, MRI and positron emission tomography/computed tomography may be required for accurate assessment of the extent of disease involvement and identification of an optimal biopsy site. The use of rituximab was associated with improvement in PFS, and autologous stem cell transplant was associated with OS.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of primary versus secondary gastrointestinal mantle cell lymphoma.

Primary gastrointestinal (GI) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is rare and the optimal management is unknown. We reviewed 800 newly diagnosed MCL cases and found 22 primary (2.8%) and 79 (9.9%) secondary GI MCL cases. Age, sex, and performance status were similar between primary and secondary cases. Secondary cases had more elevations in lactate dehydrogenase (28% vs 0%, P = 0.03) and a trend for a higher MCL international prognostic index (P = 0.07). Observation or local therapy was more common for primary GI MCL (29% vs 8%, P < 0.01), and autologous stem-cell transplant was more common for secondary GI MCL (35% vs 14%, P < 0.05). The median follow-up was 85 months. Primary and secondary GI MCL had similar 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) (30% vs 28%, P = 0.59) and overall survival (OS) (65% vs 66%, P = 0.83). The extent of GI involvement in primary GI MCL affected treatment selection but not outcome, with a 5-year PFS of 43% vs 14% vs 31% (P = 0.48) and OS of 57% vs 71% vs 69% (P = 0.54) in cases with single lesion vs multiple lesions in 1 organ vs multiple lesions in ≥2 organs. Less aggressive frontline treatment for primary GI MCL is reasonable. It is unknown whether more aggressive treatment can result in improved outcomes.

Persistent mediastinal FDG uptake on PET-CT after frontline therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma: biopsy, treat or observe?

Residual mediastinal FDG-uptake after frontline therapy for classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) may constitute persistent disease or inflammatory changes. We analyzed practice patterns at two institutions to determine how often a mediastinal biopsy influenced patient management and outcome. Forty-two cases were eligible for review, mostly treated with ABVD. Twenty (group1) underwent a mediastinal biopsy and 22 did not (group2). In group1, 10/20 were positive for cHL and proceeded to salvage therapy (ST); 4/10 biopsy-negative patients were observed, and 6/10 received consolidative radiotherapy. Ten of 22 patients from group 2 were observed, 12/22 received ST. Ten of 14 observed patients remained PET-positive and 8/8 biopsies in these patients showed cHL. Deauville score (DS) 5 was associated with a positive biopsy (10/16). No overall survival difference between groups was observed. We conclude that observation and repeat a FDG-PET is reasonable for DS3-4 while for DS5, ST should be considered pending biopsy confirmation when feasible.

Role of systemic high-dose methotrexate and combined approaches in the management of vitreoretinal lymphoma: A single center experience 1990-2018.

Vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) management remains a challenge. We present 72 patients with VRL, diagnosed at Mayo Clinic between 1990-2018. Three nondiffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) histology cases were excluded. Among 69 DLBCL, 33 patients had primary VRL (PVRL), 18 concurrent intraocular and central nervous system (CNS) or systemic disease and 18 secondary VRL. Patients received intraocular chemotherapy (intraocular injections of rituximab or metothrexate or steroids or in combination), radiotherapy, systemic or combined systemic plus intraocular treatment in 9, 10, 35, and 15 cases, respectively. Among primary and concurrent VRL, median failure free survival (FFS), CNS relapse-free survival (CNS-RFS) and overall survival (OS) were: 1.8, 4.9, and 4.1 years, respectively; among PVRL, median FFS, CNS-RFS, and OS were: 2.6 year, Not Reached and 9.3 year, respectively. No CNS relapse occurred beyond 4 years in PVRL. Median OS for patients diagnosed between 1990 and 1999 vs between 2000 and 2018 was 1.5 vs 9.4 years, respectively (P = .0002). OS was significantly higher in PVRL, as compared with concurrent VRL (P = .04). Previous immunosuppression and poor performance status were predictive of worse outcome. In PVRL, a combined systemic and intraocular therapy showed higher FFS (P = .002) and CNS-RFS (P = .003), but no differences in OS. Among 18 secondary VRL, at a median follow-up of 1.1 year after vitreoretinal relapse, median FFS and OS were 0.3 and 1.3 years. An improvement in survival of VRL has been observed over the decades. PVRL should undergo combined systemic and intraocular chemotherapy to prevent CNS progression.

Risk of histological transformation and therapy-related myelodysplasia/acute myeloid leukaemia in patients receiving radioimmunotherapy for follicular lymphoma.

Histological transformation (HT) of follicular lymphoma (FL) to an aggressive lymphoma after chemotherapy remains a key issue. The incidence of HT after radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is unknown. This single institution study analysed the risk of HT in FL after treatment with yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan in 115 consecutive patients treated during 1987-2012. RIT was administered for progressive FL in 111 (97%) patients and as first-line therapy in the remaining 4. 28% (n = 32) had HT, occurring at a median of 60 months from diagnosis and 20 months after RIT. 48% (12/25) of patients who received fludarabine developed HT. The estimated 10-year risk of HT in the fludarabine and non-fludarabine groups was 67% and 26% respectively (P = 0·015). Only prior fludarabine was significantly associated with predicting the risk of HT after RIT. 8% (9/115) of patients developed therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukaemia (tMDS/AML) at a median of 41·4 months (range, 5-89). The estimated 10-year risk of tMDS/AML in non-fludarabine treated patients (n = 90) versus fludarabine treated (n = 25) was 13% and 29%, respectively. The estimated overall risk of FL undergoing HT at 10 years without fludarabine exposure appears similar to patients reported in the literature that have not received RIT. Patients with prior purine-analogue therapy are at significantly higher risk of HT.

Accuracy of 18-F FDG PET/CT to detect bone marrow clearance in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma - tissue remains the issue.

Staging of peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (PTCL) is determined by 18-F FDG PET scan and bone marrow biopsy. This study addressed the accuracy of PET at detecting bone marrow (BM) involvement at restaging in patients with known involvement pretreatment. We identified patients with biopsy proven BM PTCL at diagnosis and concomitant BM and PET at the end of therapy. Pre-treatment PET demonstrated 50% (8/16) had a false-negative PET scan of the BM. After induction, repeat biopsy revealed 62.5% (10/16) with BM involvement. Of these 10, two had a positive PET; eight were false negative by PET. Of the six patients with a negative posttherapy BM biopsy, four were PET negative and two false positive. The sensitivity of PET at end of treatment was 20% (2/10) with a specificity of 66.7% (4/6). PET/CT is not an accurate predictor of BM involvement in patients with known PTCL in the marrow.

Clinical Presentation and Diagnostic Challenges of Thyroid Lymphoma: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid lymphoma is a relatively rare disease often posing a diagnostic challenge. Reaching the final diagnosis can be delayed if insufficient biopsy material is obtained for immunohistochemistry analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical, biochemical, and radiological features of thyroid lymphoma. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of all Mayo Clinic patients evaluated between 2000 and 2014 who had a tissue biopsy positive for thyroid lymphoma. RESULTS: Seventy-five subjects had biopsy-proven thyroid lymphoma, and 62.7% were primary thyroid lymphomas. The median age at diagnosis was 67 years (range 20-90 years). A total of 50.7% were male, and 54.7% had a history of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Presenting symptoms included neck mass (88%), dysphagia (45.3%), and hoarseness (37.3%). The typical ultrasound appearance consisted of a solid, hypoechoic mass with increased vascularity and variable edge characteristics. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies were abnormal in 70.7% of cases, and 42% indicated a specific lymphoma subtype. The diagnosis was confirmed in 53.3% by core biopsy, in 21.3% by thyroidectomy (partial or total), in 12% through incisional biopsy, and in 12% by lymph node biopsy. Core biopsy had a higher sensitivity compared with FNA (93% vs. 71%, p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: A rapidly enlarging neck mass in the setting of Hashimoto's thyroiditis should raise suspicion for thyroid lymphoma. Radiologically, this usually presents as a large, unilateral, thyroid-centered mass, hypoechoic by ultrasound, and expanding into adjacent soft tissues. Core-needle biopsy should be the first diagnostic test to expedite reaching the final diagnosis and decrease patient burden of additional tests and interventions.

Large B-cell transformation in nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma: 40-year experience from a single institution.

A number of reports have shown a propensity of nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) to transform into diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Long-term data on the incidence and outcomes of transformed NLPHL are lacking. A comprehensive analysis of the actively maintained Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Database was performed. Between 1970 and 2011, 222 consecutive adult patients with new untreated NLPHL were identified. Median age at diagnosis was 40 years, and 146 (66%) were males. The median follow-up was 16 years. Seventeen patients (7.6%) developed a transformation to DLBCL. The median time to transformation was 35 months (range, 6-268 months). Based on the observed 17 transformations during 2304 patient-years of follow-up, the rate of transformation was 0.74 per 100 patient-years. In a multivariate analysis, use of any prior chemotherapy ( ITALIC! P= .04) and splenic involvement ( ITALIC! P= .03) were significantly associated with increased risk of transformation. The 5-year overall survival (OS) in those with transformed disease was 76.4%, and transformation did not adversely affect OS when compared with patients who did not experience transformation. In this large single-institution cohort with long-term follow-up, the risk of transformation was lower than that observed in other low-grade lymphomas.

Hodgkin transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Incidence, outcomes, and comparison to de novo Hodgkin lymphoma.

Although transformation to Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a recognized complication in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), its incidence, clinical characteristics and outcomes are not well defined. We used the Mayo Clinic CLL and Lymphoma Databases to identify CLL patients who developed biopsy-proven HL (CLL/HL) on follow-up, as well as cases of de novo HL (i.e., without prior CLL). Among 3887 CLL patients seen at Mayo Clinic from January 1995 through August 2011, 26 (0.7%) developed HL. In a nested cohort of 2,465 newly diagnosed CLL patients followed prospectively, the incidence of HL was 0.05%/year (10 year risk = 0.5%). The median overall survival (OS) from date of HL diagnosis in patients with CLL/HL was 3.9 years compared to not reached for de novo HL patients (n = 709) seen during the same time interval (P < 0.001). The shorter OS of CLL/HL patients persisted after adjusting for differences in age and Ann Arbor stage of disease. The International Prognostic score (IPS) developed for de novo HL stratified prognosis among CLL/HL patients with median survival of not reached, 6.2, 2.4, and 0.3 years (P = 0.006) for those with IPS scores of ≤2, 3, 4, and ≥5, respectively. In summary, approximately 1 of every 200 CLL patients will develop HL within 10 years. Survival after HL diagnosis in patients with CLL is shorter than de novo HL patients. The IPS for de novo HL may be useful for stratifying survival in CLL/HL patients.

ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a genetically heterogeneous disease with widely disparate clinical outcomes.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a CD30-positive T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that morphologically resembles ALK-positive ALCL but lacks chromosomal rearrangements of the ALK gene. The genetic and clinical heterogeneity of ALK-negative ALCL has not been delineated. We performed immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization on 73 ALK-negative ALCLs and 32 ALK-positive ALCLs and evaluated the associations among pathology, genetics, and clinical outcome. Chromosomal rearrangements of DUSP22 and TP63 were identified in 30% and 8% of ALK-negative ALCLs, respectively. These rearrangements were mutually exclusive and were absent in ALK-positive ALCLs. Five-year overall survival rates were 85% for ALK-positive ALCLs, 90% for DUSP22-rearranged ALCLs, 17% for TP63-rearranged ALCLs, and 42% for cases lacking all 3 genetic markers (P < .0001). Hazard ratios for death in these 4 groups after adjusting for International Prognostic Index and age were 1.0 (reference group), 0.58, 8.63, and 4.16, respectively (P = 7.10 × 10(-5)). These results were similar when restricted to patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy, as well as to patients not receiving stem cell transplantation. Thus, ALK-negative ALCL is a genetically heterogeneous disease with widely disparate outcomes following standard therapy. DUSP22 and TP63 rearrangements may serve as predictive biomarkers to help guide patient management.

Pattern of CD14+ follicular dendritic cells and PD1+ T cells independently predicts time to transformation in follicular lymphoma.

PURPOSE: Transformation of follicular lymphoma is a critical event associated with a poor prognosis. The role of the tumor microenvironment in previous transformation studies has yielded conflicting results. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: To define cell subtypes associated with transformation, we examined tissue specimens at diagnosis from patients with follicular lymphoma that later transformed and, using immunohistochemistry (IHC), stained for CD68, CD11c, CD21, CXCL13, FOXP3, PD1, and CD14. Cell content and the pattern of expression were evaluated. Those identified as significantly associated with time to transformation (TTT) and overall survival (OS) were further characterized by flow cytometry and multicolor IHC. RESULTS: Of note, 58 patients were analyzed with median TTT of 4.7 years. The pattern of PD1(+) and CD14(+) cells rather than the quantity of cells was predictive of clinical outcomes. On multivariate analysis, including the follicular lymphoma international prognostic index score, CD14(+) cells localized in the follicle were associated with a shorter TTT (HR, 3.0; P = 0.004). PD1(+) cells with diffuse staining were associated with a shorter TTT (HR, 1.9; P = 0.045) and inferior OS (HR, 2.5; P = 0.012). Multicolor IHC and flow cytometry identified CD14(+) cells as follicular dendritic cells (FDC), whereas PD1(+) cells represented two separate populations, TFH and exhausted T cells. CONCLUSION: These results identify the presence of PD1(+) T cells and CD14(+) FDC as independent predictors of transformation in follicular lymphoma. Clin Cancer Res; 20(11); 2862-72. ©2014 AACR.

Peripheral blood absolute lymphocyte/monocyte ratio during rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone treatment cycles predicts clinical outcomes in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

A limitation of the prognostic factor peripheral blood absolute lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (ALC/AMC) at diagnosis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is its inability to sequentially assess the host/tumor microenvironment interaction and clinical outcomes during treatment. Therefore, we studied the ALC/AMC ratio at each rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP) cycle as a predictor for survival. We studied 107 consecutive patients with DLBCL diagnosed, treated only with R-CHOP and followed at the Mayo Clinic. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering identified four clusters based on the patterns of ALC/AMC ratio recovery during cycles. The most inferior survival was seen in the cluster with ALC/AMC ratio < 1.1 in all cycles. By multivariate analysis, ALC/AMC ratio < 1.1 during all cycles was an independent predictor for inferior overall survival and progression-free survival. The ALC/AMC ratio during R-CHOP cycles predicts survival and provides a platform to develop therapeutic modalities to manipulate the ALC/AMC ratio during R-CHOP cycles to improve DLBCL clinical outcomes.

Patients with celiac disease and B-cell lymphoma have a better prognosis than those with T-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Celiac disease (CD) is associated with an increased risk of lymphoma. However, relatively few studies have assessed the outcome of patients diagnosed with both CD and lymphoma. We evaluated the temporal association between lymphoma and CD, along with clinical presentation, response to therapy, and prognosis. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with both CD and lymphoma were identified retrospectively in a tertiary referral center. Clinical characteristics and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients (36 men) were identified who had been diagnosed with lymphoma and CD. Thirty-six (57%) were diagnosed with CD before they were diagnosed with lymphoma. The most common histologic entity was diffuse, large, B-cell lymphoma, which affected 18 (29%) patients. Complete information for staging was available in 59 patients; 24 (38%) had stage IV disease. Only chemotherapy or only radiation therapy was used for 43 (68%) and 11 (17%) patients, respectively. The 5- and 10-year cumulative survival rates for the entire cohort were 58% and 39%, respectively. Survival of patients with T-cell lymphoma was shorter than for all other lymphomas (119.4 vs 22.8 mo; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: CD is associated with B- and T-cell lymphomas. Patients with B-cell lymphomas had a better prognosis than those with T-cell lymphoma. Therapy is unsatisfactory for enteropathy-type T-cell lymphoma.

Statin use and prognosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma in the rituximab era.

PURPOSE: Statins have antilymphoma properties but have also been shown to inhibit the binding of rituximab to the CD20 antigen, resulting in reduced antitumor activity of rituximab in vitro. The clinical impact of statin use on the outcome of lymphoma patients treated with a rituximab-containing regimen is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with newly diagnosed, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL) were enrolled onto a registry and observed prospectively. The impact of statin use on patients' outcomes was analyzed. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-eight patients with DLBCL and 293 patients with FL were enrolled from September 2002 through June 2007; 21% of patients with DLBCL and 19% of patients with FL were on statins at diagnosis, and 20% and 17% remained on statins during lymphoma treatment, respectively. All patients with DLBCL and 39% of patients with FL received initial therapy containing rituximab. The median follow-up time was 47 months (range, 13 to 80 months). Statin use had no impact on the overall response rate (P = .67), overall survival (P = .76), or event-free survival (EFS) in patients with DLBCL (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.43 to 1.68). Statin use at diagnosis was associated with improved EFS in patients with FL (HR = 0.45; 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.77), including subgroups treated with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen (HR = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.14 to 1.07) and patients who were observed only (HR = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.84). CONCLUSION: The concurrent use of statins during the treatment of patients with DLBCL and FL in the rituximab era did not adversely affect outcome. The apparent benefit of statin therapy on FL outcome requires further studies.

Effectiveness of second line salvage chemotherapy with ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide in patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma not responding to cis-platinum, cytosine arabinoside, and dexamethasone.

DHAP (dexamethasone, cytosine arabinoside and cis-platinum) is a commonly used regimen for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The optimal treatment for patients who do not respond to DHAP, but are still potential candidates for autologous stem cell transplantation, is unclear. One option is to proceed with an alternative chemotherapy regimen such as ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (ICE). The overall response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS) associated with this chemotherapy sequence is unknown. Patients with DLBCL receiving DHAP as the first salvage therapy without response followed by ICE as second salvage were studied to learn the ORR to ICE and OS. The ORR to ICE in these DHAP-failures was 52% (11/21) with 14% (3/21) complete responses and 38% (8/21) partial responses. Nine patients (43%) were able to proceed to transplant and 29% (6/21) are long-term survivors. In patients with stable disease after DHAP the ORR was 67% (8/12) with 42% (5/12) becoming long-term survivors. In contrast, only 33% (3/9) of patients who had progressive disease on DHAP responded to ICE with only one patient achieving a durable response. Patients with stable disease after DHAP can be salvaged with ICE-based chemotherapy regimens whereas patients who progress on DHAP have a poor outcome. Patients with progressive disease on DHAP should be considered for alternative salvage regimens or experimental therapy.

Treatment of benign orbital pseudolymphomas with the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab.

OBJECTIVE: To report the results of treating patients with orbital pseudolymphomas with the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were included in the study if they had an orbital mass and biopsy-proven orbital pseudolymphomas between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2005. The study focused on patients treated with rituximab. RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients were evaluated, and the biopsy results revealed malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 72 (73%); the other 26 (27%) had a pseudolymphoma. Eleven (42%) of the 26 patients with a pseudolymphoma were treated with rituximab, 375 mg/m2, intravenously each week for 4 doses, and 10 (91%) of the 11 responded. Seven patients were either treated with maintenance rituximab or successfully retreated with rituximab after relapse. None of the 10 responders has become refractory to rituximab. CONCLUSION: Benign lymphoproliferative tumors are responsive to monoclonal antibody therapy targeted to B lymphocytes. Rituximab should be considered a treatment option for orbital pseudolymphomas.

Prospective study of survival outcomes in Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PURPOSE: Although preliminary studies suggest that non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) complicating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be a clinically distinct entity compared with that occurring in the general population, studies examining the impact of antecedent RA on survival are limited. In this prospective study, we examined the association of RA with survival in patients with NHL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using two large lymphoma registries, we identified patients with evidence of RA preceding NHL. Survival in RA patients was compared with that of controls using proportional hazards regression, adjusting for the effects of age, sex, lymphoma diagnosis-to-treatment lag time, calendar year, International Prognostic Index score, and NHL grade. RESULTS: The frequency of NHL subtypes was similar in RA patients (n = 65) and controls (n = 1,530). Compared with controls, RA patients with NHL had similar overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.70 to 1.30) but were at lower risk of lymphoma progression or relapse (HR = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.68) or death related to lymphoma or its treatment (HR = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.98), but were more than twice as likely to die from causes unrelated to lymphoma (HR = 2.16; 95% CI, 1.33 to 3.50). CONCLUSION: RA is associated with improved NHL-related outcomes, including a 40% reduced risk of death occurring as a result of lymphoma or its treatment and approximately a 60% lower risk of lymphoma relapse or progression compared with non-RA controls. However, the survival advantage gained in RA from the acquisition of lymphomas with favorable prognoses is negated through an increased mortality from other comorbid conditions.

Bleomycin pulmonary toxicity has a negative impact on the outcome of patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

PURPOSE: Bleomycin pulmonary toxicity (BPT) has been well described in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients treated with bleomycin-containing chemotherapy regimens. The influence of this pulmonary complication, along with the omission of bleomycin from further chemotherapy, on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in HL remains unclear. We reviewed our experience with BPT in HL to better delineate outcome and appropriate treatment in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-one patients who were treated with bleomycin-containing chemotherapy for newly diagnosed HL between January 1986 and February 2003 were eligible for this retrospective review. BPT was defined by the presence of pulmonary symptoms, bilateral interstitial infiltrates, and no evidence of an infectious etiology. RESULTS: BPT was observed in 18% of patients. Increasing age, doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine as initial therapy, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor use were associated with the development of BPT. Patients with BPT had a median 5-year OS rate of 63% v 90% (P = .001) in unaffected patients. The mortality rate from BPT was 4.2% in all patients and 24% in patients who developed the pulmonary syndrome. BPT incidence and mortality were highest in patients older than 40 years. The omission of bleomycin had no impact on obtaining a complete remission, PFS, or OS. CONCLUSION: BPT results in a significant decrease in 5-year OS in patients who are treated for HL. Age > or = 40 years seems to add substantially to the risk. In patients who do not die from acute pulmonary toxicity, both OS and PFS seem equal, despite the omission of bleomycin.

Prognostic analysis for survival in adult solid organ transplant recipients with post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to determine prognostic factors for overall survival in patients with post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study focused on the 107 adult solid organ transplantation patients who were diagnosed with PTLDs at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) between December 1970 and May 2003. RESULTS: The median age at the time of diagnosis was 48 years (range, 15 to 75 years). Extranodal disease including grafted organ involvement was present in 85 patients (80%). The graft organ was involved in 30 patients (28%). At the time of these analyses, 62 patients (58%) had died. The median survival for the entire cohort was 31.5 months (95% CI, 10.7 to 72.5 months). The median follow-up of living patients was 51.8 months (range, 5.6 to 202.6 months). In univariate analyses for overall survival from the time of PTLD diagnosis, the following poor prognostic factors were identified: poor performance status with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group levels 3 and 4 (P < .0001), grafted organ involvement (P = .0005), the presence of one or more extranodal sites (P = .005), both nodal and extranodal disease (P = .002), high International Prognostic Index (P = .006), advanced stage (P = .001), and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (P = .03). A final multivariable model for survival was constructed using three factors: poor performance status (3 to 4), monomorphic disease, and graft organ involvement. CONCLUSION: A prognostic model has been developed for PTLD patients using one center's 30 years of experience. We propose additional confirmation and validation of these prognostic factors in larger prospective studies.