Clinical features and treatment outcomes of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma

The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate clinical features and treatment outcomes in patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), data of which were collected over a 15-year period. Sixty-five patients diagnosed with AITL were included in the study. About half of the patients (46.2%) presented with poor performance status (ECOG > or = 2); 72.3% of patients belonged to high intermediate or high-risk of IPI and same proportion belonged to Class 2 of PIT (Prognostic index for PTCL-U), and most patients (95.4%) were diagnosed at an advanced stage. At diagnosis, 27 patients (41.5%) presented with malignant pleural effusion, and 22 patients (33.8%) had skin involvement. Most of the initial chemotherapy regimens were anthracycline-based (88.2%). Overall response rate to initial chemotherapy was 86.2% (64.7% of complete response, 21.5% of partial response). The median progression-free survival and overall survival of all patients was 7.1 months (95% CI, 2.8 - 11.4) and 15.1 months (95% CI, 6.7 - 23.5), respectively. Age, performance status, and PIT scores were predictive prognostic factors for survival. In conclusion, although AITLs showed a good response to the initial chemotherapy, their response durations were short; therefore, chemotherapy for AITL should be modified or intensified as in high-dose chemotherapy.