T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma - Analysis of clinical features, response to treatment, survival and comparison with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Objectives: Clinical features, response to treatment and survival of T-cell -rich B-cell lymphoma (TCRBCL) patients were compared to those of a similar group of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods: Bet ween 1992 and 1999, 10 patients with a diagnosis of TCRBCL were treated in our department. Over the same 7-year period, a group of 65 patients with DL BCL were diagnosed in the same department. Both groups of patients were tre ated with the same anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Results: A significant ly higher percentage of patients with TCRBCL presented with B-symptoms, ele vated LDH, bone marrow infiltration and disseminated extranodal involvement compared to patients with DLBCL. TCRBCL patients responded poorly to combi nation chemotherapy, since only 3 of them achieved complete remission (33%) compared to 48 (75%) patients with DLBCL. All patients with TCRBCL who ach ieved complete response relapsed within the first 2 years while 65% of pati ents with DLBCL survive disease free for a median follow-up period of 4 yea rs. The median overall survival for DLBCL patients has not been reached yet , while it was 18 months for TCRBCL patients. Conclusions: Although the num ber of patients in our study is small, it seems that patients with TCRBCL p resent with advanced disease, respond poorly to chemotherapy and display a short disease-free and overall survival compared to patients with DLBCL. Co pyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.