Evaluating long-term outcomes for patients with stage 1 NHL

This study investigated the long-term survival outcomes of patients with stage 1 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). This study concluded that these patients have favorable outcomes but may need follow-up after 5 years of remission (no cancer recurrence).

Most patients with early-stage (stage 1 – 2) NHL tend to have better outcomes than patients with advanced (stage 3 – 4) disease. About 80% of patients with early-stage NHL are still alive at 5 years after treatment. However, some patients experience cancer recurrence later. The best disease management for these patients remains unclear.

Previous studies have suggested that chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy may be recommended for these patients. The outcomes of patients with early-stage NHL after different therapies remain under investigation.

This study involved the records of 58,230 patients with stage 1 NHL. 40% of all patients had their tumors surgically removed. 28% of patients received chemotherapy alone. 14% of patients received radiotherapy alone. 16% of patients received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Patients were followed-up for an average of 68 months.

At follow-up, overall survival (OS) for patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was 120 months. OS was 179 months in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) and 70 months in those with mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL). OS for marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) were 165, 101 and 109 months.

At 5 years, 82.0% of patients with DLBCL, 92% with FL, 95% with MZL, 89% with SLL, 78% with Burkitt lymphoma and 77% with MCL and PTCL were alive without any signs or symptoms of cancer. 

For patients with DLBCL, treatment with surgery plus chemotherapy plus radiotherapy significantly lowered mortality risk by 60%. For patients with FL, this treatment approach significantly lowered mortality risk by 44%%. This treatment lowered mortality by 24% in patients with Burkitt lymphoma, by 41% in those with PTCL, and by 54% in those with MCL. Surgery plus radiation lowered mortality risk by 33% in patients with MZL and by 39% in those with SLL. 

This study concluded that patients with stage 1 NHL have favorable survival outcomes. The authors suggest that these patients may need attention and follow-up after 5 years of remission.

This study was retrospective, meaning it looked back in time to analyze data. More studies are needed to confirm these results.

If you have concerns about your long-term outcomes, talk to your care team about your treatment plan.