Association of Event-Free Survival at 24 Months With Overall Survival in Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Maurer et al found that event-free survival at 24 months (EFS24) was associated with prolonged subsequent overall survival among patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).
Study Details
The study involved patients with systemic PTCL newly diagnosed from 2000 to 2012 from the United States (n = 138), Sweden (n = 422; initial cohorts), and Canada (n = 215; replication cohort) who were treated with curative intent. Event-free survival was defined as the ime from the date of diagnosis to disease progression after primary treatment, retreatment, or death. Subsequent overall survival was measured after achieving EFS24 or from the time of disease progression if disease progression occurred within 24 months.
EFS24 and Overall Survival
Among the total of 775 patients, the median age at diagnosis was 64 years, and 63% were men. Since results were similar in the initial and replication cohorts, a combined analysis was performed. Overall, 64% of patients had disease progression within the first 24 months; these patients had a median overall survival of 4.9 months and a 5-year overall survival of 11%. Among patients who were event-free at 24 months, relapse occurred in 23% of patients within the following 5 years; median overall survival was not reached, and 5-year overall survival was 78%. Among patients aged ≤ 60 years at diagnosis who were event-free at 24 months, 5-year overall survival was 91%.
The investigators concluded: “EFS24 stratifies subsequent outcome in PTCL. Patients with PTCL with primary refractory disease or early relapse have extremely poor survival. However, more than one third of patients with PTCL remain in remission 2 years after diagnosis with encouraging subsequent [overall survival], especially in younger patients. These marked differences in outcome suggest that EFS24 has utility for patient counseling, study design, and risk stratification in PTCL.”
The study was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute, the Terry Fox Research Institute, and the British Columbia Cancer Foundation (BC Cancer Agency).
Andrew L. Feldman, MD, of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, is the corresponding author of the Journal of Clinical Oncology article.
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