Abstract

ABSTRACT
Introduction: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) constitutes 30%–58% of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Treatment strategies should be stratified according to age, IPI and feasibility of dose-intensified approaches. Six cycles of combination chemotherapy (R-CHOP) is the current standard.
Aim of the study: To assess the response rate and disease free survival in patients with Diffuse Large B- cell Lymphoma treated with standard therapy (R-CHOP).
Patients and methods: An ambidirectional cross-sectional study with data obtained from November 2020 till December 2021 from Baghdad Teaching hospital / Department of Hematology. A total 100 adult patients who were diagnosed with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and received R-CHOP were enrolled in this study.
Results: All the patients were evaluated using PET/CT or computed tomography scans with contrast (CeCT) post R-CHOP therapy: 53% patients were in complete response, 16% patients were in partial response, 20% patients were in progressive disease, 10% patients became primarily refractory to the therapeutic regimen. There was no significant association (P= 0.887) between the response to treatment and IPI scores. There was no significant association between patients’ response to treatment and the prognostic factors of DLBCLs including age, LDH level, extra-nodal involvement and stage (P= 0.402, 0.281, 0.201, and 0.674 respectively).
Conclusion: The current study showed that R-CHOP treatment has good response rate for patients with DLBCL with 53% of the patients were with complete response rate. Evaluation of patients by using PET/CT or CeCT after R-CHOP treatment showed that IPI score and patients’ prognostic factors of DLBCLs including had no significant effect on achieving response.
Key words: Lymphoma, response rate, standard therapy