Chronological age is a multifactorial prognostic variable in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

In order to assess the predictive capacity of chronological age for survival, an analysis of prognostic variables was performed on 277 patients with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, 84 of whom were older than 65 years. All patients were seen at a single institution, and elderly patients, who might otherwise have been excluded from study analysis, were included. Seventeen clinical, radiological and laboratory parameters were evaluated and subjected to univariate and multivariate analyses. Patients older than 65 years had a significantly poorer survival than those younger than 65 years. When the whole group was considered in a multivariate (Cox) model, the factors that independently predicted a longer survival were a good performance status, age less than 65 years and a low grade histological subtype. When patients older and younger than 65 years were analyzed separately the prognostic variables in the elderly were found to be similar to those in younger patients. The predictive capacity of chronological age was found to be influenced by a poor performance status, the presence of concomitant disease, the dose intensity and tolerance of the treatment given, as well as the physiological reserve of the patient. It is concluded that chronological age is a multifactorial prognostic parameter encompassing a number of patient and treatment factors, all of which must be considered when evaluating the capacity of chronological age to predict survival in patients with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.