Prognostic implications of tumor extent in early-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Therapeutic strategies for early-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are often influenced by tumor extent, but the prognostic value of this parameter is rarely defined. Here, a retrospective analysis was performed to define the impact of tumor extent on survival of patients with early-stage DLBCL. Eighty-six patients with stage II DLBCL, diagnosed from 2000―2007, were categorized into localized (n = 55, 64 %) and disseminated groups (n = 31, 36 %) based on tumor extent at time of diagnosis. Treatment modalities, chemotherapy regimen and number of chemotherapy cycles were the same between groups. With a median follow-up of 7.6 years (range 2.1―12.1 years), overall 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 70.6 and 76.5 %, respectively. EFS (P = 1.00) and OS (P = 0.20) did not differ between the two groups. Older age (>60 years) was significantly associated with poor EFS (P = 0.01) and OS (P = 0.04). High-risk patients as rated by stage-modified international prognostic index (IPI) had inferior EFS (P = 0.04) and OS (P = 0.06) compared with the intermediate-risk group. These results indicate that tumor extent has no prognostic value in patients with early-stage DLBCL. Consistent with previous studies, age and stage-modified IPI were useful prognostic indices for these patients.