Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma: International Prognostic Scoring System Risk Stratification At A Tertiary Care Center In Punjab

OBJECTIVE: To stratify the patients according to international prognostic system and to compare our outcome with international data for Diffuse large B cell lymphoma disease.METHODOLOGY: It was a descriptive cross sectional study carried out from 2014 to 2018 at Hematology section of Pathology Department, King Edward Medical University, Lahore. Patients were selected by non-randomized purposive sampling. Eighty (80) patients diagnosed by histopathology and immunohistochemistry on lymph node biopsy were enrolled and data was analyzed for qualitative and quantitative variables such as age, gender, B symptoms, type of lymph node and extranodal site involved, complete blood count (CBC), bone marrow examination findings, Ann Arbor stage and serum LDH.RESULTS: Out of 80 patients, majority were males (51) with M: F ratio of 1.75:1. Median age at diagnosis was 49.5 +/- 16.44 year. 18.75% had B symptoms at the time of the diagnosis. Mediastinal involvement was seen in 11.25% patients while LDH level was elevated in 96.25%. By applying IPSS, 41.25%, 23.75%, 27.5% and 7.5% were categorized into low, low/intermediate, intermediate/high and high risk groups respectively.CONCLUSION: Majority of our patients presented as Low risk category followed by intermediate/high risk group. High risk group was the least frequently encountered one. The pattern is similar to international data except intermediate/high risk category being the second most common category in our patients.