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Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the elderly. I. Pathologic features at presentation
A Carbone1, R Volpe, A Gloghini
1Division of Pathology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, Italy.
Cancer
|November 1, 1990
Summary
Elderly patients represent a significant portion of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) cases, posing management challenges. Pathologic features of NHL in older adults are similar to younger patients, with a trend toward diffuse and extranodal disease.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a significant hematologic malignancy.
- Elderly patients (≥70 years) constitute a substantial proportion of NHL cases, presenting unique clinical challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinicopathologic features of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in elderly patients.
- To compare the characteristics of NHL in elderly versus younger patient cohorts.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 118 patients aged 70 years or older with NHL.
- Classification of NHL cases using the International Working Formulation (WF).
- Immunophenotypic and immunohistologic analyses were performed on a subset of cases.
Main Results:
- Elderly patients accounted for 27.2% of all NHL cases studied.
- Among 95 classifiable elderly NHL cases, 28 were low-grade, 41 intermediate-grade, and 26 high-grade.
- Sixty-two percent of NHL cases in the elderly presented as extranodal disease.
- No significant differences in subtype prevalence were found between elderly and younger patients.
- A trend towards diffuse histologic patterns and extranodal involvement was observed with increasing age.
Conclusions:
- Elderly patients represent a significant demographic in NHL, requiring specialized management strategies.
- The pathologic features of NHL in the elderly are largely comparable to younger individuals.
- An increased prevalence of diffuse histology and extranodal disease may be associated with advanced age in NHL patients.