A study on the prevention of hemorrhage and perforation in patients with primary gastric diffuse large‐B cell lymphoma during treatment with immunochemotherapy

Abstract Background Stomach hemorrhage and perforation are very severe and common complications in patients with primary gastric diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (PG‐DLBCL) during treatment with immunochemotherapy. However, no relevant clinical studies have been performed on the prevention of these serious complications. Methods Patients diagnosed with PG‐DLBCL were enrolled in this retrospective study. The prevention group received standard rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R‐CHOP) treatment without prednisone combined with antacids and anti‐Helicobacter pylori (Hp) therapy. These patients received R‐CHOP‐based treatment until the complete recovery of gastric ulcers, as proven by gastroscopy. The control group received a standard R‐CHOP regimen. Toxicity and survival were the main endpoints. Results A total of 52 patients received preventative treatment, while 146 patients did not. Among patients with stage I, II‐1, and II‐2 disease, the prevention group had a lower rate of hemorrhage and perforation (0/40) than the control group (10/78, p = 0.044). At a median follow‐up time of 25 months, the 5‐year event‐free survival (EFS) rates were 97.1% in the prevention group and 66.1% in the control group (p = 0.025), and the 5‐year overall survival (OS) rates were 100% and 72.0%, respectively (p = 0.021). However, the differences in the 5‐year EFS and OS of patients with disseminated disease were not statistically significant. Conclusions Preventative treatment can decrease the risk of hemorrhage and perforation in patients with localized PG‐DLBCL during immunochemotherapy, leading to better EFS and OS in these patients. However, preventative treatment failed to reduce the risk of gastric hemorrhage and perforation and did not improve survival (EFS and OS) in advanced‐stage patients.