Clinicopathologic and Survival Characteristics of Childhood and Adolescent Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in Yazd, Iran

Background: Data regarding childhood and adolescent non Hodgkin lymphomas in Iran are limited. Theaim of this study was to assess the epidemiological and histomorphological features and survival of affectedpatients in our center. Materials and
Methods: The clinicopathologic features and outcome of 44 children andadolescents with non Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed during 2004-2012, were investigated retrospectively. Theinfluence of potential prognostic parameters in overall survival was investigated by log-rank test and Coxregression analysis.
Results: The mean age at presentation was 13.8±6.16 years with a male predilection (M:F=3:1). Malignant lymphoma, not otherwise specified, diffuse large cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma werethe three most common histological types observed. The tumors were 36.4% intermediate grade, 27.3% highgrade and 34.1% belonged to the malignant lymphoma not otherwise specified group. Immunohistochemistryfindings were available in 39 cases. Out of these cases 33 (84.6%) had B cell lineage, 4 (10.25%) T cell lineageand 2 (5.12%) of the cases belonged to miscellaneous group. 3 year and 5 year survivals were 48% and 30%respectively and median survival was 36 months (95%CI=21.7-50.3 months). Overall survival in patients withhigh grade tumors was 19.5 months, in the intermediate group,79 months , and for malignant lymphomas nototherwise specified it was 33.6 months (p value=0.000).
Conclusions: The survival rate for children and adolescentswith non Hodgkin lymphomas at our center during 2004-2012 was at a low level.