title: Patterns of care in a population-based random sample of patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: New therapies have enhanced treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), but extent of treatment use in community practice is unknown. We conducted a population-based study of NHL patients diagnosed in 1999 with histologically confirmed NHL (n = 947) residing in areas covered by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. We performed analyses to study factors associated with receipt of chemotherapy, radiation, and rituximab, and examine factors associated with mortality. Most patients presented with B-cell lymphoma (n = 828). Approximately 20% of patients received no therapy, over 60% received chemotherapy, and 12% received rituximab, alone or in combination. Patients aged 75 +, and males were less likely to have received chemotherapy (p = 0.01). There were no significant associations between receipt of rituximab and the factors analyzed. Patients who presented with B-symptoms or unknown B-symptom status were less likely to receive radiation (OR = 0.32 and 0.47, respectively, p = 0.0002) than asymptomatic patients. Cause-specific and all-cause mortality were significantly associated with patient age, race/ethnicity, gender, marital status, co-morbid conditions, and histological subgroup. Hispanic and African-Americans, patients age 75 +, males, unmarried patients, or patients with B-symptoms had higher risk of death from NHL and all-cause (p < 0.01). This is the first population-based study examining therapy received for many histological subtypes of NHL.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Registry Ireland, Elm Court, Boreenmanna Rd., Cork, Ireland. d.cronin@ncri.ie
authors.forename: Deirdre P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Cronin
authors.forename: Linda C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Harlan
authors.forename: Limin X
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Clegg
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Gigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002423:Cause of Death; D003153:Community Health Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D000069283:Rituximab
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000069283:Rituximab