Management of nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma in the modern era

Abstract

Purpose: To analyze treatment outcomes for nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) at a single institution.

Patients and methods: Patients with newly diagnosed NLPHL between 1996 and 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients treated before 1996 were excluded because the majority received extended field radiation therapy (RT) alone.

Results: Fifty-five patients (22 ≤ 21 years old) were identified. The median follow-up time was 6.8 years. Among 37 patients with limited-stage (I-II) disease, treatments included involved field RT at a median dose of 36 Gy (n=9), rituximab monotherapy (n=9), observation (n=3), and response-adaptive therapy (n=16), in which the RT dose was reduced from 25.5 Gy to 15 Gy or was eliminated based on interim imaging after chemotherapy. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 76.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 63.1-92.4). Nine patients experienced progression, including 5 receiving rituximab, 2 undergoing observation, and 2 receiving response-adaptive therapy. Rituximab was associated with an inferior PFS compared with RT alone (P=.02). The difference in PFS between response-adaptive therapy and RT alone was not statistically significant (P=.39). Among 18 patients with advanced-stage (III-IV) disease, treatments included chemotherapy alone (n=3), combined modality therapy (CMT) (n=2), response-adaptive therapy (n=2), rituximab (n=7), and observation (n=4). The 5-year PFS was 29.9% (CI, 13.3-67.4). Twelve patients experienced progression, including 1 receiving chemotherapy, 1 receiving CMT, 6 receiving rituximab, and 4 undergoing observation. There was no significant PFS difference between rituximab and non-rituximab therapies (P=.19) within the caveat of small sample sizes. In the entire cohort, 9 patients (3 with limited disease, 6 with advanced disease) experienced large cell transformation (LCT). Seven patients died; of those, 5 died with LCT.

Conclusions: For limited disease, response-adaptive therapy demonstrated comparable outcomes with RT alone. Rituximab monotherapy resulted in inferior outcomes for limited disease and a high relapse rate for advanced disease.