Clinical features and prognostic factors of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in Taiwan: a single-institution...

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is a rare subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphoma that carries a poor prognosis. This study retrospectively analyzed patients with AITL from a single institution in Taiwan, aiming to define the clinical features and prognostic factors. Patients with AITL treated at our institution from February 1988 through January 2010 were enrolled. Factors associated with overall survival (OS) were determined by statistical methods. A total of 31 Taiwanese patients (21 males) were identified. The median age was 74 years (range, 27-90). Among all patients, 67.7% were Ann Arbor stage III or IV, 58.1% presented with B symptoms, 48.4% had hypoalbuminenia (<35 g/L), and 63.3% had elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) at diagnosis. First-line chemotherapy was mostly CHOP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and prednisolone)-based and complete response (CR) was achieved in 25% of patients. The actuarial 2-year survival rate was 38.7%, and the median OS was 14.9 months. In multivariate analysis, initial presentation with fever (p = 0.035), advanced stage (p = 0.024), and failure to achieve CR (p = 0.029) were independent adverse factors associated with poorer OS. Interestingly, OS did not differ whether chemotherapy regimens contained anthracycline or not. Taiwanese patients with AITL were usually elderly. Despite the prognosis being generally poor, patients with AITL should be treated with the goal of achieving CR, regardless of anthracycline- or non-anthracycline-based chemotherapy.