title: Late relapse in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
abstract: The outcomes for 162 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with a CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone)-like regimen who obtained a complete remission and who subsequently relapsed after ≥5 years of remission (late relapse, N=30), or <5 years of remission (early relapse, N=132), were compared. The late relapsing patients had better prognostic characteristics at diagnosis, such as stage I/II disease (73% vs. 49%, P=0·04), a normal lactic dehydrogenase (77% vs. 48%, P=0·01), and a Karnofsky performance score of ≥80 (100% vs. 86%, P=0·01). The 3-year survival after relapse was better in late relapsing patients (48% vs. 25%, P=0·03), but the survival at 5 years (32% vs. 20%) and 10 years (13% vs. 14%) after relapse was not different. A multivariate analysis of factors predicting survival after relapse found age (P<0·0001) and presence of B-symptoms (P=0·03) to predict survival, but not early versus late relapse. A small percentage of the late relapsing patients can have a prolonged second remission. However, the overall survival from the time of relapse was not different between early and late relapsing patients with most succumbing to lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vose
authors.forename: Dennis D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Weisenburger
authors.forename: Fausto R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Loberiza
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arevalo
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bast
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Armitage
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bierman
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Bociek
authors.forename: James O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Armitage
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D013997:Time Factors; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011239:Prednisolone; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase