title: Survival patterns among lymphoma patients with a family history of lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Genetic factors are important in the etiology and pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Only a few small studies have assessed clinical characteristics and prognosis for familial patients, with inconsistent findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using population-based registries from Sweden and Denmark, 7,749 patients with CLL, 7,476 patients with HL, and 25,801 patients with NHL with linkable first-degree relatives were identified. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to compare survival in patients with lymphoma with and without a family history of lymphoma. The risk of dying was assessed using adjusted Cox proportional hazard models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 85 patients with CLL (1.10%), 95 patients with HL (1.28%), and 206 patients with NHL (0.80%) with a family history of any lymphoma. Five-year mortality was similar for patients with CLL (hazard ratio [HR], 1.28; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.72), HL (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.49 to 1.25), and NHL (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.12) versus without a family history of any lymphoma. Mortality was also similar for patients with versus without a family history of the same lymphoma. T-cell/anaplastic lymphoma patients with a family history of NHL had poorer outcome 5-years after diagnosis (HR, 5.38; 95% CI, 1.65 to 17.52). Results were similar for 10 years of follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the exception of T-cell/anaplastic lymphoma, survival patterns for patients with CLL, HL, and NHL with a family history of lymphoma were similar to those for sporadic patients, suggesting that most familial lymphomas do not have an altered clinical course. Our findings provide no evidence to modify therapeutic strategies for patients with CLL, HL, or NHL based solely on family history.
authors.affiliation: Viral Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. l.anderson@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: Lesley A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Ruth M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: Joshua S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rapkin
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gridley
authors.forename: Lene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mellemkjaer
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hemminki
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Björkholm
authors.forename: Neil E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Caporaso
authors.forename: Ola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Landgren
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology