The Hans algorithm failed to predict outcome in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with rituximab

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Immunopathology

Background:

• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) comprises distinct subtypes, including germinal center B-cell (GCB) and activated B-cell (ABC) types.
• Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is proposed for discriminating these subtypes.
• The Hans algorithm is a commonly used IHC method for DLBCL subtyping.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Hans algorithm's accuracy in classifying DLBCL subtypes.
• To assess the clinical relevance of Hans algorithm-defined subtypes in patients treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy and rituximab.

Main Methods:

• Immunohistochemical staining was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded DLBCL tissues.
• Antibodies targeting CD20, CD5, CD23, BCL2, CD10, BCL6, MUM1, and Ki67 were utilized.
• The Hans algorithm was applied to classify cases into GCB and non-GCB (ABC) subtypes.

Main Results:

• Out of 120 cases, 52 were classified as GCB and 68 as non-GCB.
• In a subset of 99 patients receiving immunochemotherapy, 45 were GCB and 54 were non-GCB.
• No statistically significant differences in overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) were observed between the GCB and non-GCB groups.

Conclusions:

• The Hans algorithm did not demonstrate prognostic value in this cohort of DLBCL patients treated with rituximab and anthracycline-based chemotherapy.
• Further research is needed to identify reliable biomarkers for DLBCL subtyping and predicting treatment response.