Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Racial differences in follicular lymphoma (FL) in the United States have not been investigated.
METHODS:
The National LymphoCare Study is a multicenter, longitudinal, observational cohort study collecting data on treatment patterns and outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed FL in the United States between 2004 and 2007 without any predefined, studyβspecific intervention. The authors investigated differences between white (W) patients, African American (AA) patients, and Hispanic (H) patients.
RESULTS:
Among 2744 enrolled patients, there were 95 (3%) AA patients, 125 (5%) H patients, and 2476 (90%) W patients. Compared with W patients, more AA and H patients were diagnosed at age <45 years (P < .0001). H patients more commonly were diagnosed with grade 3 FL compared with AA and W patients (29%, 13%, and 18%, respectively; P = .019) and more commonly received rituximab plus chemotherapy as initial therapy compared with W patients (66% vs 50%; P = .036), while AA patients less commonly received anthracyclines (49% vs 64% in W patients; P = .027). H and AA patients who received rituximab plus chemotherapy were less likely than W patients to receive maintenance rituximab (27% vs 31% vs 40%, respectively; P = .031). At a median followβup of 52 months, progressionβfree survival was similar between AA and W patients but was longer in H patients, and there was no difference in overall survival.
CONCLUSIONS:
In the largest prospective cohort to date of AA and H patients with FL in the United States, AA and H patients were younger at presentation. Although racial differences in treatment patterns for FL were noted, additional followβup is needed to determine the impact of these differences on survival. Cancer 2012. Β© 2012 American Cancer Society.