Authors: ManHsin Hung YuanBin Yu YuChung Huang HanTsung Liu YingChung Hong LiangTsai Hsiao JinHwang Liu JyhPyng Gau TzeonJye Chiou PoMin Chen ChengHwai Tzeng ChunYu Liu
Publish Date: 2012/08/11
Volume: 91, Issue: 12, Pages: 1907-1915
Abstract
Certain portions of patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma DLBCL do not achieve a complete remission after firstline rituximab combining chemotherapy This retrospective study aimed to characterize the outcome of patients with DLBCL that achieved partial remission or had stable disease after firstline RCHOP rituximab cyclophosphamide doxorubicin vincristine and prednisolone The effects of subsequent treatments and factors associated with eventfree survival EFS after secondline treatments were analyzed A total of 103 patients were enrolled and 81 768 patients received intensive chemotherapy whereas the others 232 received either palliative chemotherapy or supportive care post firstline treatment Patients receiving intensive chemotherapy had significantly higher EFS median 79 months than the others 28 346 patients in this group received autologous stem cell transplantation ASCT which may have further improved the EFS An International Prognostic Index IPI 2 and absolute lymphocyte count ALC at diagnosis 1000/UL were significant prognostic factors associated with worse EFS The survival advantage of ASCT remained significant after adjustment for these factors The results suggest intensive chemotherapy plus ASCT may provide modest disease control in patients with DLBCL who achieve PR or SD to firstline RCHOP particularly in those with a higher IPI score and/or low ALC at diagnosisThis study was partially supported by a grant from the Taiwan Clinical Oncology Research Foundation and a grant from Taipei VGH V101A023 The authors thank Mrs YaWen Yang from the Division of Biostatistics Institute of Public Health National Yang Ming University Taipei Taiwan for her assistance in statistical analysis
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