Background & objective: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection increases the prevalence of liver damage and related death of malignant tumor patients. This study was to investigate the prevalence of liver damage and clinical results in lymphoma patients with chronic HBV infection after standard chemotherapy, and assess high risk factors associated with liver damage for better guidance in clinic.
Methods: Records of 116 lymphoma patients with chronic HBV infection, treated with standard chemotherapy from Jan. 1985 to Jan. 2002 in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University, were reviewed to analyze the prevalence of liver damage, clinical results, and related high risk factors.
Results: Of the 116 patients, 60 (51.7%) suffered liver damage. According to WHO criteria of liver toxicity, 4 (3.4%) were in grade I, 14 (12.1%) in grade II, 15 (12.9%) in grade III, and 27 (23.3%) in grade IV. After treatment for liver damage, 11 (9.5%) patients completed chemotherapy without delay, 27(23.3%) completed chemotherapy with delay of more than 8 days, 16 (13.8%) terminated chemotherapy, 6 (5.2%) died. Logistic multivariate analysis showed that steroid was a high risk factor of liver damage after chemotherapy.
Conclusions: The prevalence of liver damage is high in lymphoma patients with chronic HBV infection after standard chemotherapy, which led to treatment delay or discontinue, even death. Steroid is a high risk of liver damage.