Lymphoma Stage at Diagnosis May Predict Site of Secondary Malignancy

Researchers found that the stage at which diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is diagnosed can impact the types of secondary cancers that form after treatment.

The study assessed outcomes in 26,038 patients diagnosed with DLBCL between 1973 and 2010. More than half of patients were diagnosed with stage I or II disease. Overall, 13% of survivors developed a second primary cancer.

“We’ve known that, genetically, early and late stage disease is different, and our hypothesis was that the type and timing of secondary primary cancers may thus be different as well,” said Manali Kamdar, MD, of the University of Colorado Cancer Center and clinical director of lymphoma services at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, in a press release.

Type and timing of secondary cancer differ

Patients diagnosed with early-stage DLBCL had a higher risk of developing second primary cancers in the five years following treatment, most of which were solid tumors in the breast, colon, or prostate. However, patients diagnosed with stage III or IV DLBCL had an increased risk of developing second primary cancers in the 10 to 15 years after treatment; most of these cancers were hematologic malignancies.

“This is a first step toward identifying tools in survivorship clinics to better surveil survivors. It benefits patients because we may be able to better identify risk,” said Dr. Kamdar.