RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of Rituximab and international prognostic index score on survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients. METHOD: The retrospective study was conducted at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, from January to May 2013 and comprised record of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who were treated from 2007 to 2010. Baseline international prognostic index score, stage at presentation were noted and the records were divided into two groups A and B on the basis of the type of chemotherapy. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Of the 93 patients in the study whose records were reviewed, 54(58%) were men. Overall median age was 43 years (range: 18-76). Stages at presentation were stage-I 14 (15.1%), stage-II 41 (44.1%), stage-III 20 (21.5%) and stage-lV 18 (19.4%). International prognostic index risk categorisation was low risk 59 (63.4%), low intermediate risk 23 (24.7%), high intermediate risk 10 (10.8%) and high risk 1 (1.1%). There were 31 (33%) patients in Group A and 62 (67%) in Group B. Median follow-up was 3.9 years (range: 1.2-6.1). Overall survival at 4 years was 66.4%; for Group A 65.3% and for Group B 66.7% (p < 0.4). On the basis of risk categories, overall survival was statistically significant (p < 0.001) between the groups. CONCLUSION: International prognostic index risk categorisation had statistically significant impact on survival. However, there was no evidence of a significant survival benefit between types of chemotherapy. Further controlled trials are needed in this regard.