Are Higher Doses of Consolidation Radiation Therapy Necessary in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Involving Osseous...

This study aimed to evaluate whether higher doses of consolidation radiation therapy (RT), which have been traditionally recommended for osseous sites in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), are still necessary.

Patients with DLBCL with osseous involvement treated with first-line chemotherapy followed by consolidation RT between 1995 and 2016 were reviewed. The primary endpoint was 5-year freedom from local recurrence, estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Outcomes based on the RT dose received were also assessed.

A total of 51 patients were identified. The most common chemotherapy regimens were rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (80%) and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (12%) with a median of 6 cycles (range, 3-8 cycles). After chemotherapy, 82% of patients achieved a complete response (CR), and 18% achieved a partial response (PR). All patients in PR were deemed appropriate for consolidation RT. The median dose was 29 Gy (24 Gy for CR; 36 Gy for PR). After a median follow-up of 86 months, 8 patients relapsed, with 2 relapses in the RT field after consolidation RT of 30 and 39.6 Gy, respectively. Overall, the 5-year freedom from local recurrence was 96% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91%-100%), disease-free survival was 76% (95% CI, 65%-89%), and overall survival was 86% (95% CI, 76%-96%). No dose-response relationship was observed.

In patients with DLBCL with osseous involvement who achieved a CR after first-line chemotherapy, 20 to 30 Gy of consolidation RT led to high rates of local control. Higher doses should be reserved for patients in PR.