Influence of weight on survival for patients with indolent and mantle cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

This study examines the effect of body mass index (BMI, a measure of body fat that takes height and weight into account) on the survival of patients with indolent and mantle cell lymphomas. The authors concluded that BMI affects the overall survival of patients with indolent and mantle cell lymphoma. 

Obesity is a known risk factor for the development of lymphomas and other types of cancers. However, some studies have shown that being overweight might be a protective factor for patients with certain cancers, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. More research is needed on the effect of weight on outcome for patients with indolent and mantle cell lymphomas. 

The medical records of 502 patients were reviewed. All patients had either indolent (slow-growing) non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or mantle cell lymphoma, another type of NHL. The average follow-up time was 4 years.

A cut-off body mass index (BMI) of 22.55 kg/m² was used. Patients with a BMI below 22.55 were considered to have a “low” BMI. Patients with a BMI above 22.55 were considered to have a “high” BMI.

Patients with a “high” BMI had significantly better survival outcomes than patients with a “low” BMI. The 5-year overall survival (time from diagnosis to death from any cause) for patients with a “high” BMI was 82.2%. The 5-year overall survival for patients in the “low” BMI group was 66.2%.

Patients with a “high” BMI also had longer progression free survival (time from diagnosis to disease progression) than patients with a “low” BMI. However, the difference was not significant.

The authors concluded that BMI may be a protective factor for patients with indolent and mantle cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. 

In the low BMI group, patients were more likely to have stage IV disease or have B-symptoms, which are associated with a poorer outcome. The worse outcomes seen in the low BMI group may be affected by these factors.