Long-term outcome of primary endocrine non-Hodgkin lymphomas: does the site make the difference?

Primary gastric non-Hodgkin lymphomas: Recent advances regarding disease pathogenesis and treatment

Primary gastric lymphomas (PGLs) are distinct lymphoproliferative neoplasms described as heterogeneous entities clinically and molecularly. Their main histological types are diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or mucosa-associated lymphoma tissue. PGL has been one of the main fields of clinical research of our group in recent years. Although gastric DLBCLs are frequent, sufficient data to guide optimal care are scarce. Until today, a multidisciplinary approach has been applied, including chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy or a combination of these treatments. In this minireview article, we provide an overview of the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and staging of these diseases, along with their molecular pathogenesis and the most important related clinical published series. We then discuss the scientific gaps, perils and pitfalls that exist regarding the aforementioned studies, in parallel with the unmet need for future research and comment on the proper methodology for such retrospective studies. Aiming to fill this gap, we retrospectively evaluated the trends in clinical presentation, management and outcome among 165 patients with DLBCL PGL who were seen in our institutions in 1980-2014. The study cohort was divided into two subgroups, comparing the main 2 therapeutic options [cyclophosphamide doxorubicin vincristine prednisone (CHOP) vs rituximab-CHOP (R-CHOP)]. A better outcome with immunochemotherapy (R-CHOP) was observed. In the next 2 mo, we will present the update of our study with the same basic conclusion.

Metabolic activity of extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma on 18F-FDG PET/CT according to immune subtyping

Disseminated extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is associated with dismal prognosis. Hence, distinct tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) subtypes were proposed to explain their influence on ENKTL progression and help predict treatment response. In this study, we investigated the capacity of FDG PET/CT to discern ENKTL TIME subtypes. A total of 108 pretreatment FDG PET/CT scans of 103 patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed ENKTL were retrospectively analyzed. TIME subtype was determined using three key immunohistochemical markers. SUVmax, MTV and TLG were measured, and metabolic features associated with TIME subtype were statistically extracted. TIME subtype was immune tolerance (IT) in 13.9%, immune evasion A (IE-A) in 56.5%, immune evasion B (IE-B) in 21.3%, and immune silenced (IS) in 8%. The IS group showed the highest SUVmax (15.9 ± 6.4, P = 0.037), followed by IE-A (14.1 ± 7.8), IE-B (10.9 ± 5.6), and IT groups (9.6 ± 5.1). Among 53 with only nasal FDG lesions, 52 had non-IS subtype. Among 55 with extra-nasal FDG lesions, those with IS subtype more often had adrenal (P = 0.001) or testis involvement (P = 0.043), greater MTV (P = 0.005), greater TLG (P = 0.005), and SUVmax located at extra-nasal sites. The presence of 0–2 and 3–4 of these four findings was associated with low probability (2/46) and high probability (6/9) of IS subtype, respectively. Furthermore, patients showing IS subtype-favoring PET/CT pattern had worse overall survival compared to their counterparts. These results demonstrate that FDG PET/CT can help predict immune subtype in ENKTL patients. The different patterns between glycolytic activity and involved site according to TIME subtype might be related to the interplay between tumor cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.

Calcitriol-mediated Reversible Hypercalcemia in a Patient with Primary Adrenal Lymphoma

Primary adrenal lymphomas (PAL) are rare occurrences with only less than 150 cases reported in the literature. Two-thirds of these cases were reported in the last decade due to the advancements in imaging techniques and immunohistochemistry. The non-specific signs and symptoms have resulted in a delayed onset of symptoms and diagnosis of these tumors. Reports of the results of chemotherapy are not gratifying, and most patients die within one year of the diagnosis. We report a 65-year-old male with adrenal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), who presented with hypercalcemia and renal failure. We reviewed all adrenal NHL cases presented with hypercalcemia and attempted to comprehend its etiology and overall survival effect.