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Objective The impact of body mass index ( BMI) and body surface area ( BSA) on survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma ( DLBCL) is controversial. Recent studies show superior outcomes for overweight and obese patients. Patients and methods A total of 653 R- CHOP(-like)-treated DLBCL patients were included in this retrospective cohort study. Patients, baseline clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment information were retrieved from the Danish Lymphoma Registry. Anthropometric measures were obtained from chemotherapy prescription charts. Results Underweight ( BMI <18.5 kg/m2) was associated with significantly worse progression-free survival ( PFS) for male patients only in sex-stratified analyses ( HR 3.92, 95% CI: 1.57-9.75, P = 0.003, for males; HR 1.65, 95% CI: 0.90-3.02, P = 0.107, for females). In multivariate analyses, underweight was associated with worse PFS for both sexes ( HR 5.34, 95% CI: 2.07-13.79, P = 0.001, for males; HR 2.14, 95% CI: 1.12-4.08, P = 0.021, for females). Similar results were obtained in analyses of overall survival. In crude analyses, BSA <1.8 m2 was associated with worse PFS for men and women ( HR 1.65, 95% CI: 1.03-2.65, P = 0.039, for men; HR 1.62, 95% CI: 1.03-2.56, P = 0.037, for women). In multivariate analyses, however, these associations diminished. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that underweight DLBCL patients have worse outcomes following R- CHOP as compared to normal as well as overweight patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this case report a 73-year-old male with liver-metastatic colon cancer was admitted to hospital due to severe abdominal pain merely four days after receiving chemotherapy including epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors. An acute computed tomography revealed gas-filled liver metastases with two possible diagnoses of either a rapid tumour response resulting in tumour necrosis or severe bacterial infection involving liver metastases. Moreover, the patient had an anaerobic infection with Clostridium septicum, and despite relevant treatment he died within 12 hours after admission.