Diagnostic and therapeutic splenectomy for splenic lymphomas: analysis of the National Cancer Data Base. Issue 1 (1st January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fallah, Jaleh; Olszewski, Adam J.
• Is Part Of: Hematology. Volume 24:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 378
• Page End: 386
• Publication Date: 2019-01-01
• Subjects: Epidemiology -- splenectomy -- splenic marginal zone lymphoma -- follicular lymphoma -- mantle cell lymphoma -- diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; Blood -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Hematology -- Periodicals; Blood -- Transfusion -- Periodicals; 616.15005
• DOI: 10.1080/16078454.2019.1591570
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1024-5332

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Objectives: To examine the use of splenectomy, chemotherapy, and subsequent overall survival (OS) in contemporary patients with splenic lymphomas. Methods: We analyzed records of 6450 patients with various splenic lymphomas recorded in the National Cancer Data Base (2004–2013). Survival was compared using Mantel-Byer test to account for guarantee-time bias, stratified by age, sex, comorbidities, and lymphoma stage. Results: Splenectomy rate was overall 58%, and varied from 49% in splenic marginal zone (SMZL) to 77% in follicular lymphoma (FL). It significantly decreased across all histologies over time (overall from 69% in 2004, to 44% in 2013). Thirty-day mortality after splenectomy was 4%. Chemotherapy use varied from 40% in FL to 76% in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but increased significantly only for SMZL and T-cell lymphomas over time. Overall, 57% of splenectomies were performed as diagnostic procedures, which was significantly less common in academic hospitals ( p < 0.0001). Following a diagnostic splenectomy, chemotherapy was not administered to 29% of patients with DLBCL, 49% with mantle cell, and 42% with T-cell lymphomas. Median OS ranged from 12.4 years for FL to 1.0 year for T-cell lymphomas. We found no association between performance of splenectomy and OS across all histologies. Patients with DLBCL who did not receive chemotherapy after a diagnostic splenectomy had significantly worse OS ( p = 0.001). The association between post-splenectomy chemotherapy and OS was not observed in FL or SMZL. Conclusion: many splenic lymphomas may be treated without surgery, but a high proportion of diagnostic splenectomies indicates an ongoing need for less invasive diagnostic modalities.