Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic factors in patients with diagnosed B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL).
Patients and methods: The retrospective analysis of 44 children with B-NHL, newly diagnosed and treated at the Clinical Department of Paediatric Oncology, Haematology and Transplantology in Poznań.
Results: Complete remission was achieved in 39 and partial remission in 2 children. Three children died due to progression of the disease. Relapses was observed in 13 children (male to female ratio 12:1). Median age at diagnosis of both relapsed and non-relapsed children was 8 years. Relapses were observed from 8 to 46 months (median: 26 months). There was no relapse in stage I, whilst in stage II - 1 relapse occurred, in stage III - 5 relapses, and in stage IV - 7 relapses. The mean time of achieving complete remission was 67 days in patients demonstrating relapse and 59 days in non-relapsed patients. In patients with relapse the mean initial serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level was significantly lower than in non-relapsed group. Among relapsed patients, 12 (92%) were EBV-seropositive at diagnosis, whereas only 13 (42%) in the group of non-relapsed patients. In the subgroup of children with primary bone marrow involvement the mean absolute count of lymphoblasts in peripheral blood measured at diagnosis was 38.5 G/L in relapsed children and 5.2 G/L in non-relapsed children.
Conclusions: 1. In the studied group EBV-seropositivity and initial lower serum LDH level are suggested to be risk factors of relapse of the lymphoma. Nevertheless, further investigations based on larger group of patients are needed. 2. In children with bone marrow involvement initial absolute lymphoblast count in peripheral blood significantly increases the risk of relapse. 3. In the studied group there was no significant impact of age and time period of remission on the risk of relapse.