Background: Diffuse large B Cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of non-Hogkin lymphoma (NHL). We performed a retrospective study of patients with de novo DLBCL treated in the Medical Oncology department of Cancer Institute of Iran, Tehran to assess the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemistry correlation and prognosis of the patients.
Methods: World Health Organization (WHO) classification was used to reexamine 1470 biopsy specimens related to the years 1985-2006. After excluding five cases of T Cell large cell lymphoma, 50 Patients diagnosed as DLBCL.
Results: Median age of the patients was 45.5(20-85) years: 60% were male and 30% had primary extranodal disease. The most common extranodal sites were bone, gastrointestinal tract and Head and neck areas. The most common stages were stage II (32%), stage III (32%), stage IV (20%) and stage I (16%) retrospectively and 33% had B-symptoms. All of The Patients received chemotherapy (83% CHOP regimen) and 46% treated by radiotherapy after chemotherapy. With a mean follow up time of 32 months, median survival time was 34 (95% CI 24-40) months. Prognostic factors for survival were tumor stage, B-symptoms and early relapse (less than 6 months).
Conclusions: Our data showed the importance of Immunohistochemistry method in diagnosis of DLBCL. Although DLBCL is potentially curable with CHOP chemotherapy protocol, addition of monoclonal antibody (Anti CD20) and finding new prognostic factors to predict early relapse are clearly needed in Iran.