Clinical behavior and treatment outcome of primary nasal diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Nasal diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is rare. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of patients with nasal DLBCL. METHODS: Twenty‐five patients were included in the study. All patients received combination chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy. RESULTS: Patients with nasal DLBCL usually were older and were predominantly men with early stage disease, low frequency of B symptoms and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), good performance status, and a low‐risk international prognostic index (IPI) score. The overall response rate after initial treatment was 76%, the 3‐year overall survival (OS) rate for the whole group was 44%, and the median OS was 35 months. Performance status and IPI were significant prognostic factors for OS. For patients with IPI scores of 0 or 1, the 3‐year OS rate was 54%, and the median OS was 52 months compared with 17% and 11 months, respectively, for patients with IPI scores of 2 or 3 (P = .033). The prognosis for patients who achieved a complete response (CR) was significantly better than that for patients who did not achieve a CR. Extranodal spread was the primary pattern of failure. CONCLUSIONS: The current results indicated that primary nasal DLBCL appears to have distinct clinical features; its poor outcome and propensity for extranodal failure illustrate the need for innovative therapies. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society. Patients with primary nasal diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) usually are older and are predominantly men with early stage disease, a low frequency of B symptoms and elevated lactate dehydrogenase, good performance status, and a low‐risk international prognostic index score. Nasal DLBCL appears to have distinct clinical features; its poor outcome and a propensity for extranodal failure illustrate the need for innovative therapies.