LEUKEMIA RESEARCH, cilt.28, sa.3, ss.229-236, 2004 (SCI-Expanded)
Clinicopathologic features of 21 patients with T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma (TCRBCL) were reviewed and compared to 43 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) to determine if there were distinguishing clinical characteristics and differences in response or survival to CHOP therapy. For the diagnosis of: TCRBCL, the current WHO criteria was used. In all of our cases, the majority of cells are non-neoplastic T cells and <10% large neoplastic B cells are present. The initial pathologic diagnosis was nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma (NLPHL) in two cases. Patients with TCRBCL were significantly younger (median: 46 years) and had a significantly higher incidence of B symptoms (62%), hepatomegaly (33%) and marrow infiltration (33%) at presentation when compared to DLBCL (P < 0.03). The CR rate after treatment was 48% for TCRBCL patients versus 79% for the DLBCL (P < 0.003). Although the CR rates in between the two groups are significant, the difference in 3 years survival rates in each CR groups was insignificant (80% versus 77%). The overall survival time in the two groups was 17 months. Event-free survival time in TCRBCL was 12 months, compared with 17 months in the DLBCL (P > 0.05). The frequency of patients with TCRBCL achieving CR was 52.6% whereas that of patients with DLBCL was 79% (P < 0.003). The TCRBCL 3 years event-free survival 48% and overall survival 64% were 63 and 72% for DLBCL, respectively. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.