Follicular Lymphoma In The Elderly: A Different Disease?

e19532 Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of patients older and younger than 70 years diagnosed with follicular lymphoma (FL). Methods: A review of the clinical database of 131 patients with LF treated in our hospital between May 1980 and January 2013 was performed. Clinical, treatment, and following items were obtained. Results: 34 patients were 70 years of age or older (70.6 to 83.9 years) and 98 were younger (23-69.3 years), without significant differences with respect to gender, histology grade, stage and Performance Status. The extranodal involvement sites in the younger group were more frequent in spleen (17.1%), liver (17.1%), bowel (14.3%) and head and neck (11.4%), meanwhile in the eldest were in lung (35.7%), bone (21.4%) and pleura (14.3%), with significant differences (p=0.007). The median Overall Survival (OS) was 8.1 years (1.2-31.4) in the younger group and 4.3 years (1.2-7.2) in the older group. The median of probability of Free Progression Survival (FPS) was 3.2 years (0.1-31.4) in younger patients and 1.7 years (0.1-5.5) in older patients. It exists significant differences in the probability of OS and FPS (both p<0.001), with worse results in older patients. The analysis of the causes of death (FL, second tumour or other causes) does not demonstrate significant differences between both groups. Differences were not found between the age groups when CHOP versus CVP was used. Not using rituximab in addition to CHOP scheme implies a relative risk of relapse of 3.3 (95% IC 1.5-6.9 p<0.001). Conclusions: It should be noted a worse OS and FPS in the older population. Nevertheless, the different extranodal involvement suggests a different biologic behaviour in both groups. [Table: see text]