Is the small non-cleaved-cell lymphoma histologic subtype a poor prognostic factor in adult patients? A case-controlled analysis. The Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l'Adulte.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prognostic significance of the small non-cleaved-cell lymphoma (SNCCL) histologic subtype, we compared the outcome of adult patients with SNCCL with that of patients with aggressive lymphoma other than SNCCL by means of two case-controlled studies.


METHODS
We analyzed the results of the doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycin, and prednisone (ACVBP) regimen used as a reference scheme in our cooperative study group (Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l'Adult [GELA]) in 52 adult SNCCL patients with no bone marrow (BM) or CNS involvement. Forty-five SNCCL patients younger than 60 years could be compared with two separate case-matched groups of patients with aggressive lymphoma other than SNCCL undergoing the same therapeutic regimen. In the first case-controlled study, matching ensured identity of each risk factor of the age-adjusted International Index (ie, Ann Arbor stage, performance status, and lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] level); in the second study, matching was performed according to the number of presenting risk factors (zero, one, two, or three), regardless of their nature.


RESULTS
The 5-year overall survival rates were not significantly different between SNCCL and control patients in both case-controlled studies: 48% versus 51% in the first study, and 48% versus 55% in the second study.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the thesis that in patients with no bone marrow or CNS involvement, the SNCCL histologic subtype does not confer a prognosis worse than that of other aggressive lymphoma.
Diviné
M
M
Hôpital Henri Mondor, Créteil, France.
Lepage
E
E
Brière
J
J
Pautier
P
P
Dupriez
B
B
Lederlin
P
P
Mineur
P
P
Tilly
H
H
Blanc
M
M
Audhuy
B
B
Herbrecht
R
R
Coiffier
B
B
Reyes
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014751:Vindesine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D001761:Bleomycin; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D014751:Vindesine; D011241:Prednisone