Background: Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is an aggressive variant of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. We sought to assess the treatment outcomes after combined-modality therapy for early-stage PBL.
Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 10 consecutive patients diagnosed with stage I-II PBL from February 2001 to December 2013 at a single institution. The baseline clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, overall outcomes, and treatment-related toxicity were assessed.
Results: The median age at diagnosis was 50.5 years. All patients had extranodal disease; 2 were positive for human immunodeficiency virus. Seven patients received hyper-CVAD (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, dexamethasone)-based chemotherapy, 2 received CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone), and 1 received dose-adjusted EPOCH (etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin). Radiotherapy (RT) was administered after a complete response to chemotherapy in 7 patients and a partial response in 1 patient. At a median follow-up period of 42 months, the estimated 2-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 90% and 100%, respectively.
Conclusion: PBL can be successfully treated with aggressive chemotherapy followed by RT. The treatment was well tolerated and can result in long-term survival for patients with limited-stage disease.
Keywords: Combined modality therapy; Early stage; Non-Hodgkin lymphoma; Radiotherapy; Survival.
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