ABSTRACT
Data on response and survival outcomes of Latin American patients with diffuse Large B- cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are limited. We describe the clinical, inflammatory and immunohistochemical features of a cohort of DLBCL Peruvian patients treated with chemoimmunotherapy between 2010 and 2015. Logistic models were fitted for complete response (CR), and Cox proportional-hazard regression for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Seventy-three patients were included in this analysis, 41 % had high/high-intermediate IPI and 48 % had high/high-intermediate NCCN-IPI scores, 41 % had non-germinal center (NGC) profile and 36 % were double expressors. CR was attained in 63 % of patients, median PFS was 53 months and median OS was 80 months. Both IPI and NCCN-IPI scores were statistically associated with PFS and OS. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ≥4 was associated with lower odds of CR (OR 0.19, p = 0.007), worse PFS (HR 2.67, p = 0.02) and worse OS (HR 2.77, p = 0.02). NLR ≥ 4 remained significant after adjusting for the IPI score and had a trend towards significance when adjusted for the NCCN-IPI score. Albumin <3.5 g/dl was associated with worse OS when adjusted for the NCCN-IPI score (HR 2.96, p = 0.04). NGC profile and double expressors were not prognostic. Our study identified NLR ≥ 4 and albumin <3.5 g/dl as potential adverse factors in DLBCL patients and could add to the prognostic value of the IPI or the NCCN-IPI scores.