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The outcome of double-hit lymphoma (DHL) defined by concurrent rearrangements of MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 is extremely poor than that of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Patients with DHL are usually resistant to R-CHOP therapy and show a highly aggressive clinical course frequently involving the extranodal sites, such as the bone marrow, peripheral blood, pleural effusion, and central nervous system (CNS). However, several retrospective studies conducted recently have demonstrated a relatively favorable outcome with intensive chemotherapy, such as dose-adjusted EPOCH-R, than those receiving R-CHOP in patients with DHL. "Double expressor status" with concomitant expression of MYC and BCL2 protein by immunohistochemistry in DLBCL is considered a poor prognostic biomarker and has been associated with high risk of CNS relapse. Therefore, to reduce these risks, CNS-directed evaluation and consideration of CNS-prophylactic strategies should be performed in patients with double expressor lymphoma. This chapter reviews the clinical and pathological features, prognosis, treatment strategies, and new insights in MYC-associated B-cell lymphoma, such as Burkitt lymphoma.

The safety and effective dose of chemotherapy in treating non-Hodgkin lymphoma in elderly patients is yet to be established. In this study, we assessed the prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in elderly patients (≥75 years) treated with an optimal dose of R-CHOP. No significant differences were observed in progression-free survival between elderly patients and patients aged <74 years with DLBCL. Furthermore, no differences were observed between full-dose R-CHOP and 80% dose R-CHOP groups. Median relative dose intensity was 0.80 in elderly patients with DLBCL. Thus, our data suggested that 80% dose R-CHOP is tolerable and effective in these patients.

Recently, elevated peripheral blood monocyte counts at diagnosis have been shown to be an independent marker associated with poor prognosis in patients with both non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the data from a total of 550 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and evaluated the relationship between central nervous system relapse and absolute monocyte counts at diagnosis. Twenty-six patients developed central nervous system relapse. The central nervous system relapse-free survival rate was significantly lower in patients with the absolute monocyte counts ≥ 0.51 × 10(9)/L (87.8% versus 96.4%; P<0.001). This association was independently significant after adjusting for other significant factors, including systemic relapse as a time-dependent covariate by multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 2.46; 95% confidence intervals 1.05-5.75; P=0.039). These results suggest that the absolute monocyte count at diagnosis is an independent significant risk factor for central nervous system relapse in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma., (Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.)