title: Body mass index and outcomes in patients receiving chemotherapy for intermediate-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
abstract: We conducted a retrospective cohort study examining the influence of obesity on treatment outcome and survival among 712 patients with intermediate-grade B-cell NHL receiving frontline therapy between 1988 and 2001. Baseline adiposity was approximated by body mass index categorized according to the World Health Organization schema. Logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was used to adjust for baseline patient demographic, disease, and treatment variables. Approximately 37% of cohort patients were overweight (BMI 25 to <30 kg/m(2)) and more than 23% were obese (BMI >or= 30 kg/m(2)). Risk factors were similar across groups and treatment intensity did not vary by BMI. Median follow-up was 45.7 and 62.8 months for PFS and OS, respectively. After adjustment for other significant prognostic factors, BMI in the overweight range was associated with significantly reduced hazard for both PFS (OR 0.72, p = 0.011) and OS (OR 0.74, p = 0.030). Increased BMI is associated with significantly improved survival among patients with treatment-naive, intermediate-grade B-cell NHL. Prospective confirmation of these results is warranted given the increasing prevalence of both NHL and obesity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. jeffrey.jones@osumc.edu
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Fayad
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Elting
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D050177:Overweight; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate