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Absolute lymphocyte counts predicts response to chemotherapy and survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Leukemia volume 21, pages 2227–2230 (2007)Cite this article

The recovery of absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) after CHOP or rituximab plus CHOP (R-CHOP) chemotherapy has been determined as an independent prognostic factor of survival in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).1 This finding suggests the importance of ALC recovery (that is, host immunity) in predicting the survival of DLBCL patients after chemotherapy.1, 2 Furthermore, a recent study suggested that the ALC at the time of diagnosis, not at the time of recovery after chemotherapy, would predict the prognosis of 228 patients with follicular lymphoma (FL).3 FL patients with high ALCs at diagnosis (⩾1.0 × 109/l) showed better overall survival compared to those with lower ALCs, and ALC was an independent prognostic factor in addition to the follicular lymphoma international prognostic index (FLIPI). However, to our best knowledge, the predictive value of the ALC at diagnosis for survival or response to chemotherapy has never been investigated in patients with DLBCL. The objective of the current study was to define the prognostic role of ALCs at diagnosis in predicting the response to chemotherapy and survival after treatment.

A total of 223 patients with CD20-positive DLBCL who received CHOP or R-CHOP chemotherapy between 1997 and 2005 at six hospitals in Republic of Korea (Korean Cancer Center Hospital, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Dongsan Medical Center, Pusan National University Hospital, and Yeungnam Medical Center) were included in this retrospective study. This study was approved by the institutional research board at the Kyungpook National University Hospital (Daegu, Korea). Clinical data were analyzed according to information available as of November 2005. Baseline patients' characteristics are summarized in Supplementary Table 1. CHOP chemotherapy was given to 101 patients, and R-CHOP chemotherapy was given to 122 patients. No difference in baseline characteristics between the CHOP vs R-CHOP groups was noted (data not shown). Of the 223 patients, 12 patients received high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea

    D H Kim, J H Baek, Y S Chae & S K Sohn

  2. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Sungkyunkwan University Department of School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

    D H Kim & Y H Park

  3. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea

    J H Baek

  4. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Jeollanamdo, Korea

    Y-K Kim & H J Kim

  5. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Korean Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea

    Y H Park

  6. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Keimyung University, Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Korea

    H S Song

  7. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea

    J S Chung

  8. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Yeungnam University, Yeungnam Medical Center, Daegu, Korea

    M S Hyun

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  1. D H Kim
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Correspondence to D H Kim.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Leukemia website (http://www.nature.com/leu)

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Kim, D., Baek, J., Chae, Y. et al. Absolute lymphocyte counts predicts response to chemotherapy and survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Leukemia 21, 2227–2230 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404780

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