Long‐term outcomes of patients with conjunctival extranodal marginal zone lymphoma. Issue 1 (20th May 2022) - Saul, Eduardo Edelman
Abstract: Comprehensive information on clinical features and long‐term outcomes of primary conjunctival extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (PCEMZL) is scarce. We present a large single‐institution retrospective study of 72 patients. The median age was 64 years, and 63.9% were female. Stage I was present in 87.5%. Radiation therapy (RT) alone was the most common treatment (70.8%). Complete response (CR) was 87.5%, and 100% in RT‐treated patients. With a median follow‐up of 6.7 years, relapse/progression and death occurred in 19.4% each, with one relapse within the RT field. The 10‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 68.4% (95% CI 52.8%–79.8%) and 89.4% (95% CI 77.4%–95.2%), respectively. The 10‐year rate for time to progression from diagnosis was 22.5% (95% CI 11.6%–35.7%). The 10‐year PFS and OS of MALT‐IPI 0 versus 1–2 were 83.3% versus 51.3%, ( p = .022) and 97.6% versus 76.6%, ( p = .0052), respectively. The following characteristics were associated with shorter survival: age > 60 years (PFS: HR = 2.93, 95% CI 1.08–7.95; p = .035, OS: HR = 9.07, 95% CI 1.17–70.26; p = .035) and MALT‐IPI 1–2 (PFS: HR = 2.67, 95% CI 1.12–6.31; p = .027, OS: HR = 6.64, 95% CI 1.45–30.37; p = .015). CR following frontline therapy was associated with longer PFS (HR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.04–0.45; p = .001), but not OS. Using the Fine and Gray regression model with death without relapse/progression as a competing risk, RT and CR after frontline therapy were associated with lower risk of relapse (SHR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.12–0.96 p = .041 and SHR = 0.11, 95% CI 0.03–0.36; p < .001, respectively). Patients with PCEMZL treated with frontline RT exhibit excellent long‐term survival, and the MALT‐IPI score appropriately identifies patients at risk for treatment failure. Abstract : Long‐term outcomes of patients with conjunctival extranodal marginal zone lymphoma. Left: Photograph showing clinical presentation of primary conjunctival extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (EMZL) with salmon patch lesion in the bulbar conjunctiva. Right: Kaplan‐Meier progression‐free and overall survival curves of patients with conjunctival EMZL.