Evaluation of C-reactive protein and its prognostic relationship in patients with Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Hematology
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Hodgkin´s Lymphoma (HL) is a cancer of the lymphatic system.
• Prognostic markers are crucial for managing HL patients.
• C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker with potential prognostic value.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prognostic significance of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) in Hodgkin´s Lymphoma (HL).
• To correlate CRP levels with disease stage, B symptoms, and treatment response in HL patients.
• To assess CRP's role in predicting outcomes for HL patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 68 Hodgkin´s Lymphoma patient records (2012-2016).
• Assessment of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels at diagnosis and during chemotherapy.
• Correlation of CRP levels (>1mg/dl considered elevated) with clinical parameters and treatment outcomes.

Main Results:

• Elevated baseline CRP correlated with advanced stage (p=0.015) and B symptoms (p=0.02).
• Low CRP post-chemotherapy cycles predicted complete response (p=0.04 and p=0.03).
• Treatment-refractory patients had a higher risk of mortality (p=0.002).

Conclusions:

• C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is a clinically valuable marker for Hodgkin´s Lymphoma (HL) follow-up.
• High CRP levels are associated with advanced disease and B symptoms.
• CRP predicts treatment response and identifies refractory cases, impacting patient survival.