title: [Clinical characteristics and treatment response in adult patients with non-Hodgkin's chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine comorbidities, clinical characteristics, and treatment response in adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and follicular lymphoma (FL).
  
  
  METHODS
  The design was observational from reviewing the medical records of patients seen in outpatient and inpatient settings. It included ≥50 subjects who demanded attention during the period 2008-2012 and that met specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. The main measures were: comorbidity (population group), clinical stage, patient treatment, response to treatment, overall survival, progression-free survival, and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  p<0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  270 patients (CLL=90, DLBCL=81, FL=99) were recruited, with a mean age of 72.5, 65.5, and 62.4 years, respectively. These groups of neoplasms, compared with the general population, showed a higher percentage of men (60.0, 56.8 and 52.6 vs. 46.2%) and morbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index: 1.6, 1.5, 1.4 vs. 0.4, respectively; p<0.05). The administration of chemotherapy treatment was 28.9 vs. 86.4 and 90.9%, respectively (p<0.001). Overall survival at five years was 84.4, 45.0 and 68.5%, respectively (p=0.027), while mortality rates were 17.0 vs. 35.3 and 20.6%, respectively (p=0.041). Compared with other treatments, with administered rituximab the median progression-free survival was 6.8 vs. 4.2 years (p<0.001). These differences were maintained for the three neoplasms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comorbidity associated with hematological malignancies is high. The chronic lymphocytic leukemia group showed increased survival with lower mortality rate. Rituximab showed a higher progression-free survival in these neoplasms.
authors.affiliation: Dirección de Planificación y Desarrollo Organizativo, Badalona Serveis Assistencials, S.A., Badalona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sicras-Mainar
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacoeconomía, Roche Farma, Madrid.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Documentación Médica, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navarro-Artieda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome