title: Outcome of diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma in the United States has improved over time but racial disparities remain: review of SEER data.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (DLBCL) outcome in the United States has not been reported outside the context of clinical trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry and compared survival trends among DLBCL patients from 1973 to 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 59,728 patients (mean age, 63 years; 54.4% men, 86.7% white) and had staging information for 57%, including 30% early-stage (I/II) and 27% advanced-stage (III/IV). Median overall survival (OS) from 1973 to 1979, 1980 to 1989,1990 to 1999, and 2000 to 2004 was 15, 18, 20, and 47 months, respectively (P < .005). For the period from 2000 to 2004, 4-year OS was 46%. Outcome was better in white patients than in black (47 months versus 29 months) (P = .001). Median OS for patients younger than 60 years old was not reached versus 23 months for patients older than 60 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The outcome of DLBCL in the United States has improved significantly in the era of monoclonal antibodies; however, racial disparities remain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Malignant Hematology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. rami.komrokji@moffitt.org
authors.forename: Rami S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Komrokji
authors.forename: Najla H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Al Ali
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Beg
authors.forename: Malek M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Safa
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rollison
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kharfan-Dabaja
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cultrera
authors.forename: Lubomir
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sokol
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pinilla-Ibarz
authors.forename: Eduardo M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sotomayor
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012042:Registries; D000069283:Rituximab; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab