Characteristics, Prognostic Factors, and Survival of Patients with NK/T-Cell Lymphoma of Non-upper Aerodigestive Tract: A 17-Year Single-Center Experience

Genomic features reveal potential benefit of adding anti-PD-1 immunotherapy to treat non-upper aerodigestive tract natural killer/T-cell lymphoma

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a highly heterogeneous disease with a poor prognosis. However, the genomic characteristics and proper treatment strategies for non-upper aerodigestive tract NKTCL (NUAT-NKTCL), a rare subtype of NKTCL, remain largely unexplored. In this study, 1589 patients newly diagnosed with NKTCL at 14 hospitals were assessed, 196 (12.3%) of whom had NUAT-NKTCL with adverse clinical characteristics and an inferior prognosis. By using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) data, we found strikingly different mutation profiles between upper aerodigestive tract (UAT)- and NUAT-NKTCL patients, with the latter group exhibiting significantly higher genomic instability. In the NUAT-NKTCL cohort, 128 patients received frontline P-GEMOX chemotherapy, 37 of whom also received anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. The application of anti-PD-1 significantly improved progression-free survival (3-year PFS rate 53.9% versus 17.0%, P = 0.009) and overall survival (3-year OS rate 63.7% versus 29.2%, P = 0.01) in the matched NUAT-NKTCL cohort. WES revealed frequent mutations involving immune regulation and genomic instability in immunochemotherapy responders. Our study showed distinct clinical characteristics and mutational profiles in NUAT-NKTCL compared with UAT patients and suggested adding anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in front-line treatment of NUAT-NKTCL. Further studies are needed to validate the efficacy and related biomarkers for immunochemotherapy proposed in this study.

Clinical features, prognostic stratification, and treatment of advanced-stage non-nasal type extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma: a multi-institutional real-world study

The present study aimed to investigate the clinical features, prognosis, and treatment of advanced-stage non-nasal type extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL). This real-world study retrospectively reviewed 56 newly diagnosed advanced-stage non-nasal type ENKTCL patients from two large-scale Chinese cancer centers in the last 10-15 years and screened 139 newly diagnosed advanced-stage nasal type ENKTCLs admitted during the same period for comparison. The non-nasal type ENKTCLs exhibited significantly higher Ki-67 expression levels compared to nasal type disease (P = 0.011). With a median follow-up duration of 75.03 months, the non-nasal group showed slightly inferior survival outcomes without statistically significant differences compared to the nasal group (median overall survival (OS): 14.57 vs. 21.53 months, 5-year OS: 28.0% vs. 38.5%, P = 0.120). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score ≥ 2 (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.18, P = 0.039) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) elevation (HR = 2.44, P = 0.012) were significantly correlated with worse OS in the non-nasal group. First-line gemcitabine-based chemotherapy regimens showed a trend toward slightly improved efficacy and survival outcomes compared to non-gemcitabine-based ones in the present cohort of non-nasal ENKTCLs (objective response rate: 91.7% vs. 63.6%, P = 0.144; complete response rate: 50.0% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.502; median progression-free survival: 10.43 vs. 3.40 months, P = 0.106; median OS: 25.13 vs. 9.30 months, P = 0.125), which requires further validation in larger sample size studies. Advanced-stage non-nasal type patients could achieve comparable prognosis with nasal cases after rational therapy. The modified nomogram-revised index (including age, ECOG score, and LDH) and modified international prognostic index (including age, ECOG score, LDH, and number of extranodal involvement) functioned effectively for prognostic stratification in non-nasal type ENKTCLs.

Comparative analysis of upper aerodigestive tract and non-upper aerodigestive tract in NK/T-cell lymphoma

OBJECTIVE

Nasal or extranasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a very rare aggressive lymphoma, but it is increasingly diagnosed. To evaluate some specificity by comparative analysis between primary upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) and non-upper aerodigestive tract (NUAT)NKTCL.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on NKTCL patients from January 2013 to November 2022 in our cancer center.

RESULTS

The majority of the lesions were UAT-NKTCL 70 cases (92.1%), the primary NUAT occurred in 6 cases. Patients in the UAT group were mainly in the early stage and in the low and medium risk, while those in the NUAT group were late stage and in high risk (p = 0.000). The expressions of CD3 and TIA-1 in UAT group were higher than those in NUAT group (p = 0.031, p = 0.003), while CD7 was dominant in NUAT group (p = 0.009). For early stage NKTCL, multivariate analysis suggested that gender and PINK score were independent factors affecting PFS and OS (p < 0.05). The 3 year OS rate in initial CR group was 90.1% versus 46.4% in non-CR group (p = 0.000). In advanced stage, KI67% and bone marrow involvement were independent factors affecting OS (p = 0.022, p = 0.038).

CONCLUSION

It was difficult to distinguish between UAT and NUAT-NKTCL from histopathology. NUAT-NKTCL patients did have advanced stage and poor outcome. The prognostic value of PINK score and bone marrow involvement was proposed. We aimed to improve initial CR rates, as well as to find new predictive models to predict the whole population.

Intensive therapy can improve long-term survival in newly diagnosed, advanced-stage extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma: A multi-institutional, real-world study

The study investigated the treatment and prognosis of advanced-stage extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL). With a median follow-up of 75.03 months, the median overall survival (mOS) for the 195 newly diagnosed stage III/IV ENKTL patients was 19.43 months, and estimated 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year OS were 59.5%, 46.3%, 41.8% and 35.1%, respectively. Chemotherapy (CT) + radiotherapy (RT) compared to CT alone (P = .007), and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) compared to non-HSCT (P < .001), both improved OS. For patients ≤60 years and ineligible for HSCT, other therapies with complete remission led to comparable OS (P = .141). Nine patients ever treated with chidamide achieved a median progression-free survival (mPFS) and mOS of 53.63 (range, 3.47-92.33) and 54.80 (range, 5.50-95.70) months, and four with chidamide maintenance therapy (MT) achieved a mPFS and mOS of 55.83 (range, 53.27-92.33) and 60.65 (range, 53.70-95.70) months, possibly providing an alternative option for non-HSCT patients. Non-anthracycline (ANT)- compared to ANT-, asparaginase (Aspa)- compared to non-Aspa- and gemcitabine (Gem)- compared to non-Gem-based regimens, prolonged PFS (P = .031; P = .005; P = .009) and OS (P = .010; P = .086; P = .003), respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that Gem-based regimens improved PFS (HR = 0.691, P = .061) and OS (HR = 0.624, P = .037). Gem + Aspa combinations slightly improved PFS and OS compared to regimens containing Gem or Aspa alone (P > 0.05). First-line "intensive therapy," including CT (particularly Gem + Aspa regimens), RT, HSCT and alternative chidamide MT, was proposed and could improve long-term survival for advanced-stage ENKTLs. Ongoing prospective clinical studies may shed further light on the value of chidamide MT.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of pretreatment PET/CT in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma: a retrospective multicenter study

PURPOSE

The objective of this research was to assess the utility of positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) to detect bone marrow invasion (BMI) and the predictive value of PET/CT in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This multicentre study enrolled ENKTL patients who underwent pretherapy PET/CT and bone marrow biopsy (BMB). The specificity, sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) of PET/CT and BMB for BMI were evaluated. Multivariate analysis was used to identify predictive parameters for constructing a nomogram.

RESULTS

Seven hundred and forty-eight patients were identified from four hospitals, with eighty (10.7%) having focal skeletal lesions on PET/CT and fifty (6.7%) having positive BMB. When BMB is considered as the gold standard, the specificity, sensitivity, PPV, and NPV of PET/CT for diagnosing BMI were found to be 93.8%, 74.0%, 46.3%, and 98.1%, respectively. PET/CT-positive individuals showed significantly worse OS than PET/CT-negative patients in the subgroup of BMB-negative cases. The nomogram model created according to the significant risk factors from multivariate analysis performed well in predicting survival probability.

CONCLUSION

PET/CT offers a superior degree of precision for determining BMI in ENKTL. A nomogram model including the parameters of PET/CT can predict survival probability and may help in applying appropriate personalized therapy.

Real-World clinical features and survival outcomes associated with primary gastrointestinal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma from 1999 to 2020

BACKGROUND

Primary gastrointestinal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (PGINKTL) is a rare T-/NK-cell lymphoma subtype, and the clinical features and survival outcomes remain largely unknown.

METHODS

To summarize the clinical features and survival outcomes of PGINKTL, PGINKTL cases diagnosed at our hospital from May 1999 to December 2020 were reviewed; and the clinical data, information on treatment strategies, and survival were collected. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. We constructed a nomogram to visualize the survival prediction of PGINKTL. The discriminative ability and calibration of the nomogram for prediction were tested using the concordance index (C-index) and calibration plots.

RESULTS

The cohort included 81 cases, the median age was 36 years (range, 7-80 years), and the male-to-female ratio was 1.7:1. The most common clinical symptom at the time of diagnosis was abdominal pain (71.6%). The most common lesion site was the colon (59.3%). During a median follow-up period of 37.7 months, the median overall survival (OS) time of 81 patients was 4.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.1-4.9 months), and the 2-year OS rate was 30.7% (95% CI, 20.3%-40.1%). The multivariate analyses indicated that patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) score ≥2, serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) level ≥ the upper limit normal (ULN), and perforation had worse OS. We used these data to establish a nomogram to predict survival for PGINKTL. The nomogram displayed good accuracy, with a C-index of 0.726.

CONCLUSION

The clinical features and poor outcomes of PGINKTL, which is a rare and fatal lymphoma type, are presented. The proposed nomogram provides an individualized estimate of survival for these patients. In the future, the study focused on exploring a better treatment strategy to improve survival is required in PGINKTL.

Comparison analysis of first-line asparaginase- versus non-asparaginase-based regimens for early-stage extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma

The present study investigated the efficacy and toxicity profile of first-line asparaginase (ASP)-based versus non-ASP-based regimens in treating early-stage extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) in non-anthracycline therapy era. This multi-center, real-world retrospective study consisted 305 newly diagnosed localized ENKTCL patients who were treated with sequential chemoradiation between 2010 and 2020 in China: 190 cases received ASP-based regimens and 115 cases received non-ASP-based regimens. Propensity score matching and multivariable analyses were used to compare survivals and toxicities between the two treatment groups. Non-ASP-based regimens achieved comparable survivals compared with ASP-based regimens in the entire cohort. The 5-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 84.7% and 73.5% for non-ASP-based regimens, and 87.7% (P=0.464) and 74.6% (P=0.702) for ASP-based regimens. The non-inferior survivals of non-ASP-based regimens were consistent after adjustment using PSM and multivariable analyses. However, survival benefits of ASP varied in different treatment modalities. Among patients receiving sequential chemotherapy and radiation (CT+RT±CT), ASP-based regimens achieved higher complete remission rate (54.3 vs. 34.5%, P=0.047) and more favorable survivals compared with non-ASP-based regimens (5-year OS, 87.0 vs. 69.0%, P=0.028). However, for patients receiving sequential radiation and chemotherapy (RT+CT), non-ASP-based regimens achieved comparable favorable survivals as ASP-based regimens. Besides, liver injury, malnutrition, and coagulative dysfunction were significantly more commonly documented in ASP-based regimens. These findings suggested that ASP was an effective agent in treating ENKTCL, especially among those receiving induction CT and RT. For patients who received upfront RT, non-ASP-based regimens might be a comparably effective and more tolerable treatment option.

A retrospective study on the clinicopathological and molecular features of 22 cases of natural killer/T-cell lymphoma in children and adolescents

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) in children and adolescents is a rare type of T/NK cell neoplasms. The aim of the present study was to analyze the clinicopathological and genetic features of this rare entity of lymphoma. We evaluated the clinical, histopathological and molecular features of 22 young people with NKTCL, including 15 males and 7 females, with a median age of 15 years. The results revealed that the nasal site was the most involved region while non-nasal sites were observed in 27.3% out of all cases. The tumor cells were composed of small‑sized to large cells and 19 (86.4%) cases exhibited coagulative necrosis. The neoplastic cells in all patients were positive for CD3 and the cytotoxic markers. Nineteen (86.4%) cases were positive for CD56. Reduced expression of CD5 was observed in all available cases. CD30 was heterogeneously expressed in 15 (75.0%) cases. All 22 patients were EBV positive. Seven (36.8%) out of all the 19 patients during the follow-up died of the disease, and the median follow‑up period was 44 months. Moreover, patients treated with radiotherapy/chemotherapy showed significantly inferior OS compared with the untreated patients. High mutation frequencies were detected including KMT2C (5/5), MST1 (5/5), HLA-A (3/5) and BCL11A (3/5), which involved in modifications, tumor suppression and immune surveillance. These results suggest that NKTCL in children and adolescents exhibits histopathological and immunohistochemical features similar to the cases in adults. Active treatment is necessary after the diagnosis of NKTCL is confirmed. Furthermore, genetic analyse may provide a deep understanding of this rare disease.