[Prognostic analysis of 62 cases of nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma]

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma of nasal type (ENKTL) is a rare disease entity with unique biological behavior, of which definitive characteristics are still unknown. This study was to investigate the clinical features and prognostic factors of ENKTL in the population of southern China.

Records of 62 patients with pathologically confirmed ENKTL, treated in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from Jan. 1999 to Dec. 2004, were reviewed. Detailed clinical and laboratory data were included in univariate analysis, and statistically significant factors in univariate analysis were then included in multivariate analysis.

Of the 62 patients, 47 were men, and 15 were women, with the median age of 42; 92% of the patients had localized disease, and 76% had international prognostic index (IPI) of 0 or 1. Before treatment, 26% of the patients had anemia, 92% had ECOG performance status (PS) score of 0-1, and 53% presented B symptoms. With a median follow-up duration of 18 months, the median overall survival time was 27 months (95% CI: 10-45 months). In multivariate analysis, hemoglobin (Hb) <110 g/L, B symptoms, and ECOG PS score >1 were statistically significant unfavorable prognostic factors.

Hb together with B symptoms and PS score may be independent prognostic factors for ENKTL.