Non‐hodgkin's lymphoma of unfavourable histology: A multivariate analysis of factors predicting the response to chop

摘要

AbstractForty‐eight patients withde novonon‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of unfavourable histology received CHOP as first‐line chemotherapy. A complete remission (CR) was achieved in 64.5 per cent patients. Overall 4‐year projected survival was 48 per cent with a median follow‐up of 40.5 months. Two pretreatment characteristics, high LDH serum levels and bulky abdominal disease, were negatively associated with survival at the proportional hazards regression model and were used to calculate each patient's relative‐risk. Such analysis allowed to identify two prognostic subgroups according to their outcome to CHOP. Firstly, a high‐risk subgroup that showed an 8 per cent CR rate, most patients dying within the first year after diagnosis. Secondly, a low‐risk subgroup that showed an 83.5 per cent CR rate and a 4‐year projected survival of 66 per cent. From the above results two major conclusions can be drawn: (1) the CHOP combination is an effective treatment for unfavourable NHL patients with a low relative‐risk and (2) new therapeutic approaches should be explored for NHL patients with a high relativ