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PubMed2005

Prognostic diversity among cytogenetic abnormalities in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 30-50% of patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) demonstrate detectable cytogenetic abnormalities, the prognostic value of which has not been completely defined by previous retrospective studies. The current prospective study addresses this issue in the context of currently accepted independent prognostic variables. METHODS: The current study is a single institution study in which patients with MMM were accrued between January 2000 and August 2001 and followed in a prospective fashion. All study patients underwent bone marrow examination with cytogenetic studies as well as comprehensive clinical and laboratory evaluation at the time of karyotype analysis. RESULTS: Among the study cohort of 81 patients (with a median age of 61 years; 54 males), the cytogenetic findings were normal in 44 patients (54%; Group 1). The remaining 37 patients (46%) demonstrated either interstitial deletions involving the long arm of chromosome 13 or 20 (9 patients; Group 2) or other abnormalities (28 patients; Group 3). All study patients were followed prospectively for a minimum of 40 months (range, 40-55 months). Survival from the time of karyotypic analysis was found to be similar between Groups 1 and 2 but was significantly worse in Group 3. Furthermore, none of the patients in Group 2 experienced leukemic transformation, whereas five patients each from the other two groups did. Multivariate analysis identified an unfavorable cytogenetic profile (Group 3), > or = 1% circulating blasts, a hemoglobin level of <10 g/dL, and constitutional symptoms as adverse prognostic features for overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Specific cytogenetic lesions in patients with MMM might carry an independent prognostic effect for both survival and the risk of leukemic transformation. Such information should assist in decision making when considering aggressive treatment approaches.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Biomarkers of potential prognostic significance in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a biologically heterogeneous disease for which the current approach to treatment is only successful for 50% of patients. The prognostic value of various clinical and biological factors in predicting treatment outcome is discussed in this paper. A review of the English literature was performed including original articles and relevant reviews from MEDLINE that addressed the topics of DLBCL biology and potential prognostic factors. The International Prognostic Index is, to date, the most successful clinical model for predicting outcome. In addition, a rapidly expanding list of molecules has been identified by conventional and newer diagnostic methods that may be of significant prognostic value. Gene expression profiling has led to the discovery of new biological subtypes of DLBCL based on patterns of gene expression, and a host of new genes that may play important roles in this disease. Various derangements in apoptosis, cell-cycle regulation, differentiation, and signal transduction have been noted, while the host environment and immune response also appear to modify clinical outcome. Although to our knowledge, the fundamental abnormalities underlying DLBCL remain elusive, progress is being continuously made to further the understanding of the biological heterogeneity of this disease and the use of various clinical and biological variables to predict treatment outcome. The goal is to be able to identify subgroups of patients at high risk of treatment failure and develop more effective treatment based on specific biological defects that may represent new rational therapeutic targets.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed2006

The preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate is an independent prognostic factor in renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic nomograms are used increasingly in clinical trials and to guide surveillance for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). An elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) reportedly has been associated with a poor prognosis among patients with RCC, but the ESR is not incorporated into existing nomograms. Hence, the current study was conducted to expand on prior observations pertaining to the ESR as a prognostic indicator in patients with RCC. METHODS: The authors identified 3008 patients who underwent nephrectomy for RCC between 1970 and 2002. Disease-specific survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and its association with the ESR and other clinical and pathologic features was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. RESULTS: A preoperative ESR was available for 1075 patients (35.7%), 501 of whom (46.6%) exhibited an elevated ESR, including 437 of 881 patients (49.2%) with clear cell RCC, 41 of 134 patients (30.6%) with papillary RCC, and 20 of 48 patients (41.7%) with chromophobe RCC. An elevated ESR was associated with adverse clinical, laboratory, and pathologic profiles for all three histologic subtypes. The risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for death because of clear cell RCC, papillary RCC, and chromophobe RCC for patients with an elevated ESR were 3.6 (95% CI, 1.1-1.9), 3.8 (95% CI, 1.4-10.6), and 10.3 (95% CI, 1.2-89.5), respectively. The association between an elevated ESR and death from clear cell RCC persisted even after multivariate analysis (RR of 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-2.0). CONCLUSIONS: An elevated ESR in patients with RCC suggested the presence of aggressive disease and poorer outcomes after surgical treatment. For patients with clear cell RCC, the ESR provided useful information above and beyond traditional prognostic algorithms, and it may be valuable for preoperative prognostication.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

A prognostic model for advanced stage nonsmall cell lung cancer. Pooled analysis of North Central Cancer Treatment Group trials.

BACKGROUND: A pooled analysis was performed to examine the impact of pretreatment factors on overall survival (OS) and time to progression (TTP) in patients with advanced-stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to construct a prediction equation for OS using pretreatment factors. METHODS: A pooled data set of 1053 patients from 9 North Central Cancer Treatment Group trials was used. Age, gender, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS), tumor stage (Stage IIIB vs. Stage IV), body mass index (BMI), creatinine level, hemoglobin (Hgb) level, white blood cell (WBC) count, and platelet count were evaluated for their prognostic significance in both univariate and multivariate analyses by using a Cox proportional-hazards model. RESULTS: Patients who had high WBC counts, low Hgb levels, PS >0, BMI < 18.5 kg/m2, and TNM Stage IV disease had significantly worse TTP and OS. Patients who had Stage IV disease with a high WBC count had a particularly poor prognosis. An equation to predict the OS of patients with Stage IV NSCLC based on pretreatment PS, BMI, Hgb level, and WBC count was constructed. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the widely accepted prognostic factors of PS, BMI, and disease stage, both of the readily available laboratory parameters of Hgb level and WBC count were found to be significant prognostic factors for OS and TTP in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC. The authors' prediction equation can be used to evaluate the benefit of a treatment in Phase II trials by comparing the observed survival of a cohort with its expected survival by using the patients' own prognostic factors in place of comparisons with historic data that may have substantially different baseline patient characteristics.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Telomere length is a prognostic factor in neuroblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Maintenance of telomeres, in most instances by reactivation of telomerase, is obligatory for the indefinite proliferation of tumor cells. The objective of this study was to evaluate telomere length and telomerase activity (TA) as markers for progression and prognosis in neuroblastoma. METHODS: Primary tumor samples from 51 patients were analyzed for telomere length and TA and were correlated with known prognostic parameters and outcome. RESULTS: Telomere length had a highly significant correlation with prognosis (P = .007). Short telomeres were predictive of a favorable prognosis, whereas long or unchanged telomeres were predictive of a poor outcome. For the first time to their knowledge, the authors have shown that, within the high-risk group patients, telomere length could define a favorable subgroup that had a progression-free survival (PFS) rate of 86% compared with a PFS rate of 36% for patients with more adverse disease, which is the expected PFS rate for such patients (P = .04). In a multivariate analysis, telomere length was the most significant prognostic parameter (P = .032). TA was correlated significantly with outcome and with known prognostic factors. High TA and low TA were associated with adverse and favorable outcomes, respectively (P = .01). CONCLUSION: The results of this investigation suggested that telomere length is a highly significant prognostic parameter of clinical relevance in patients with neuroblastoma. In high-risk patients, telomere length was the sole significant parameter that identified a group of patients who had a favorable prognosis. The authors suggest that telomere length should be included in the recommended diagnostic investigations for patients with neuroblastoma.

Blotting, Southern↗

PubMed2006

Prognostic stratification of patients with anaplastic gliomas according to genetic profile.

BACKGROUND: There is a need to improve the current, controversial, and poorly reproducible classification of anaplastic gliomas, which represent a highly heterogeneous entity in terms of survival. METHODS: The impact of the most common genetic alterations on survival was investigated based on 156 anaplastic gliomas: Among the patients who were included, the gender ratio was 1.32, the median age was 45.5 years (range, 20-83 years), and the median Karnofsky performance status was 70 (range, 40-100). Genetic analysis included a search for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosomes 1p and 19q; amplification of chromosomes 9p and 10q and of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and mouse double-minute (MDM2) genes; and p53 expression. RESULTS: The median survival was 33.5 months, and the median progression-free survival was 15.8 months. In a univariate analysis, LOH on 1p and 19q was correlated with longer survival, whereas p53 expression, LOH on 9p, LOH on 10q, amplified EGFR, and deleted CDKN2A were correlated with shorter survival. LOH on 1p and 19q were associated with oligodendrogliomas, LOH on 10q was related to EGFR amplification, and LOH on 1p and 19q was mutually exclusive with EGFR amplification and LOH on 10q. In a multivariate analysis, the significant prognostic factors were age, histology, LOH on 1p and 19q, and P16/CDKN2A deletion. Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) divided the whole group hierarchically into 3 distinct prognostic subgroups: Group A with 1p19q codeletion (median survival, 98 months), Group B with EGFR amplification (median survival, 17 months), and Group CC (median survival, 31 months), providing a basis for a genetically based prognostic subclassification for patients with Grade III gliomas. CONCLUSIONS: The search for 1p19q codeletion and EGFR receptor amplification provides a simple, clinically relevant prognostic subclassification of grade III gliomas.

Adult↗

PubMed2007

Update of the decitabine experience in higher risk myelodysplastic syndrome and analysis of prognostic factors associated with outcome.

BACKGROUND: Therapy for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with hypomethylating agents, like decitabine and 5-azacitidine, has produced favorable results. In this study, the authors update their experience with decitabine in patients with MDS and analyze the cytogenetic response patterns and prognostic factors associated with decitabine therapy. METHODS: One hundred fifteen patients with higher risk MDS who received treatment with decitabine were reviewed. Patients received decitabine 100 mg/m(2) per course every 4 weeks in 3 different schedules: 1) 20 mg/m(2) intravenously daily x 5, 2) 20 mg/m(2) subcutaneously daily x 5, and 3) 10 mg/m(2) intravenously daily x 10. Decitabine was given for a median of >or=7 courses (range, 1-23 courses). RESULTS: Overall, 80 patients (70%) achieved a response according to the modified International Working Group criteria (IWG): complete response (CR), 40 patients (35%); partial response, 2 patients (2%); bone marrow CR with or without other hematologic improvements (HI), 26 patients (23%); and other HI, 12 patients (10%). Cytopenias were improved in 50% of patients. The median remission duration was 20 months, and the median survival was 22 months. Mortality was 3% at 6 weeks and 7% at 3 months. In a multivariate analysis, poor prognostic factors for achieving IWG CR were MDS (vs chronic myelomonocytic leukemia), longer duration of MDS, and prior MDS therapy. For survival, independent adverse prognostic factors were chromosome 5 and/or 7 abnormalities, older age, and prior MDS therapy (excluding growth factors). CONCLUSIONS: The longer term experience with decitabine in MDS was favorable. Pretreatment prognostic factors may predict the outcome of patients who receive decitabine therapy for MDS.

Aged↗

PubMed2007

Predictive and discriminating three-risk-group prognostic scoring system for staging Hodgkin lymphomas.

BACKGROUND: Several 3-stage Ann Arbor classification-derived prognostic systems were constructed since 1980 to identify the prognosis of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Modern statistical tools were applied to 955 patients treated between 1981 and 1996 to build a 3-stage prognostic scoring system (PSS). METHODS: Each variable associated with 10-year overall survival (10-year OS) was assigned to 2 (0 or 1) or 3 (0, 1 or 3) values. By summing the values attributed to each variable, 3 stages were defined. 10-year OS, 5-year event-free survival (5-year EFS), and freedom from progression (5-year FFP) rates of the PSS and of other existing systems were then compared. RESULTS: Four variables were associated with 10-year OS: age (<40 = 0, >or=40 = 1), number of involved lymphoid areas (1-2 = 0, 3-4 = 1, >or=5 = 2), visceral disease (no = 0, yes = 1), and systemic symptoms (no = 0, yes = 1). Scores 0 and 1, 2 and 3, and >or=4 were attributed to 59.7%, 30.9%, and 9.4% of the patients who had 10-year OS rates of 93.5, 75.7, and 53.4% and 5-year EFS / 5-year FFP rates of 91.2%/90.3%, 78.1%/76.3%, and 54.1%/52.6%, respectively. The discrimination and prediction abilities of the PSS were better than those of the other systems tested; moreover, the PSS adequately identified the few patients with a worse prognosis without resorting to the International Prognostic Score for advanced stages. The PSS was also highly predictive for 489 patients treated between 1997 and 2002. CONCLUSION: PSS is a useful alternative to the existing prognostic systems for evaluating HL patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Age as a prognostic factor in ovarian carcinoma. The Gynecologic Oncology Group experience.

BACKGROUND: The Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) has completed six major randomized trials in advanced ovarian carcinoma over the 15-year period between 1976 and 1990. This large database of 2123 patients provides a well-studied patient population with which to examine the importance of age as a prognostic factor. METHODS: The 2123 patients studied in the six GOG trials were analyzed as a group to determine important prognostic factors. Further analyses were then conducted to examine outcome by decade of life from younger than 40 years old to 70 years old and older and to evaluate the interaction of age with other significant prognostic variables. RESULTS: Three major prognostic factors were identified as exerting an influence on patient outcome in the overall patient population: age, volume of residual disease, and performance status. With regard to the effect of age, patients older than 69 years of age exhibited significantly poorer survival than those younger, even after correction for stage, residual disease, and performance status. This was not altered by variations in drugs, doses, and schedules; but there was no evidence that older patients tolerated intensive schedules less well than younger patients. CONCLUSIONS: Two practical conclusions result from this analysis. First, there is no evidence that modification of the drugs and schedules that make up the regimens used can overcome the adverse effect of older age. Second, age does not adversely affect the dose intensity that can be achieved; hence, age in itself is not reason to withhold or attenuate intensive chemotherapy, particularly in light of the fact that older patients have a poorer prognosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Prognostic significance of DNA content in bladder cancer based on flow cytometric analysis of 249 transitional cell carcinomas.

The prognostic significance of DNA index (DI), S-phase fraction, and heterogeneity determined by flow cytometric DNA analysis was assessed in a prospective study of 249 newly diagnosed transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder. The median observation time was 4.8 years. A total of 456 subpopulations were detected. The S-phases could be estimated in 299 subpopulations. A DI > 1.25 or an S-phase above 9.7% were strongly correlated to invasiveness. One hundred and ten patients were treated with transurethral resection (TUR). Relapse-free survival could not be predicted by the DNA-derived parameters. Univariate analysis of survival showed prognostic significance of diploidy (0.98 < DI < or = 1.02, P = 0.02), hypotetraploidy (1.50 < DI < or = 1.96, P = 0.002), and S-phase size (P = 0.008). Multivariate analysis pointed to the T-classification (RR = 1.64) and hypotetraploidy (RR = 1.57) as prognostic parameters for survival of TUR-treated patients. One hundred and thirty-nine patients received radiotherapy (RT). A significantly better response was found for tumors with a subpopulation with a hypertetraploid DNA content (DI > 2.04, P = 0.05), and a significantly worse response for subpopulations with a maximum S-phase > 24.5% (P = 0.04). T-classification and histological grade had no predictive value. A logistic regression analysis indicated an estimated probability of response to RT of 77% for tumors with a DI > 2.04 and an S-phase < 24.5%, whereas tumors with a DI < 2.04 and an S-phase > 24.5% had only a 28% probability of response. The poor response to RT, predicted by an S-phase > 24.5%, translated into a poor survival, whereas the better treatment response found for patients with a DI > 2.04 did not result in a longer survival. Multivariate analysis pointed to S-phase (RR = 1.70), T-classification (RR = 1.60), and grade (RR = 0.65) as independent prognostic parameters for survival of RT-treated patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Flow cytometry in primary breast carcinomas: prognostic impact of multiploidy and hypoploidy.

BACKGROUND: The aims of the present work were to study the prognostic impact of multiploidy and/or hypoploidy in breast cancers and their relation to other classic clinicopathologic prognostic factors (T, grade, receptors, and lymph node status). METHODS: From 3 January 1990 to 7 January 1999, 1984 previously untreated, invasive breast carcinoma samples were snap frozen for flow-cytometry. RESULTS: Multiploid tumors had the same prognosis as the aneuploid ones, and those with one hypoploid peak had a better prognosis than did the other aneuploid tumors. However, the presence of both multiploid and hypoploid peaks was correlated with a poor outcome, even after multivariate analysis. In this series after quality control, 93.4% of the histograms could be evaluated concerning ploidy; of these 81.6% could be assessed concerning S-phase fraction (SPF) in the entire population and 77.1% in the multiploid population. In the entire population, we performed a multivariate analysis including all relevant prognostic factors remaining after monovariate analysis by using a compound factor (proliferative activity) regrouping SPF and mitotic activity. This analysis showed that lymph node status and proliferative activity correlates with every type of survival, whereas receptor status correlates with all types of survival except recurrence free survival size, correlated with non-metastasis and overall survival. Grade and age correlated only with overall survival and vascular permeations only with disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: SPF is a valuable predictor of survival, can be confidently assessed in multiploid histograms, and thus improves the yield of flow cytometry. When combined with mitotic activity, the prognostic impact of SPF is the same as that of lymph node status. Tumors that are hypoploid and multiploid have a significantly worse prognosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Prognostic value of breast cancer cytologic grading: a retrospective study of 213 cases.

The authors evaluate 213 consecutive breast cancer cases with positive fine-needle aspiration cytology. Cytologic smears were reviewed and classified according to a grading system. A correlation between cytologic grading and pathological stage (T and N category) was observed. Univariate analysis of 5-yr overall survival rate showed a significant negative association with prognosis only for G3 (90%) compared to G1 (72%) cases. Such prognostic correlation was no longer significant at multivariate (Cox) analysis adjusting for potential confounders such as T or N categories. The prognostic value of cytologic grading is limited and dependent on other classic prognostic indicators that are currently determined in breast cancer patients. Its practical value is negligible, as it does not improve the prognostic judgment.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Immunocytochemical staining of c-erb B-2 oncogene in fine-needle aspirates of breast carcinoma: a comparison with tissue sections and other breast cancer prognostic factors.

The role of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) in breast cancer management is expanding to include prognostic in addition to diagnostic studies. This study was undertaken to compare the immunohistochemical staining of c-erbB-2, a breast cancer prognostic factor, on cytologic FNA smears of breast cancer with that on corresponding formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of the same tumor and to correlate the c-erbB-2 expression with other known breast cancer prognostic factors. FNA smears (destained, alcohol-fixed, Pap-stained direct smears) and corresponding tissue sections (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, unstained sections) from 36 primary breast carcinomas were stained immunohistochemically with c-erbB-2 antibody using an avidin-biotin procedure. Ten tumors (28%) showed strong positive staining for c-erbB-2 on the FNA smear and, of those ten, seven were positive on the corresponding tissue section and three were negative. In several of the cytology and tissue positive cases, staining on the tissue section was significantly weaker than on the FNA smear. Two cases involved treatment with preoperative chemotherapy; in one of those cases, tissue staining was weaker than cytologic staining, and, in the other case, both were negative. Correlation of c-erbB-2 staining with other prognostic factors showed an association between positive c-erbB-2 staining and high nuclear grade. Our results indicate that immunohistochemical staining for c-erbB-2 can be performed on destained FNA smears of breast carcinomas and may be more sensitive on the cytologic specimens than on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections.

Biopsy, Needle↗

PubMed1995

Prognostic factors in breast cancer: use of cytologic preparations.

There is increasing evidence that certain morphological features and biological markers found in breast tumors may provide prognostic information by predicting the risk of recurrence and metastasis in early breast cancer. This information may also be important in choosing therapeutic options in patients with advanced disease. Prognostic testing is commonly performed on surgically excised lesions. However, there are clinical conditions in which a surgical specimen may not be suitable or available for such analysis. In these circumstances, fine-needle aspiration biopsy and imprint preparation provide an attractive sample for prognostic testings. This review summarizes the current approach to the use of cytologic preparation for assessment of established and newly recognized prognostic factors.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed2004

Validation of a new prognostic staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma: the JIS score compared with the CLIP score.

The Japan Integrated Staging score (JIS score), which combines the Child-Turcotte-Pugh classification and tumor-node-metastasis staging, has been proposed as a better prognostic staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than the Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) scoring system. In this study, validation was performed among a larger patient population. A total of 4,525 consecutive patients with HCC who had been diagnosed at five institutions were included. Stratification ability, prognostic predictive power, and reproducibility were analyzed and compared with results from the CLIP scoring system. Only 45% (1,951 of 4,525) of all patients were categorized as early stage HCC according to JIS score (0 or 1), whereas 63% (2,878 of 4,525) of the patients were categorized as having a CLIP score of 0 or 1. Significant differences in survival curves were not observed among CLIP scores 3 to 6. In contrast, survival curves showed significant differences among all the JIS scores. The same JIS scoring subgroups showed a similar prognosis, and good internal reproducibility was observed in each of the institutions. Multivariate analysis of the prognosis in all 4,525 patients proved the JIS score to be the best prognostic factor. Furthermore, the Akaike information criteria proved that the JIS scoring system was statistically a better model for predicting outcome than the CLIP scoring system. In conclusion, the stratification ability and prognostic predictive power of the JIS score were much better than that of the CLIP score and were simple to obtain and remember.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Is serum bilirubin concentration the only valid prognostic marker in primary biliary cirrhosis?

From the many prognostic models for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients based on Cox's regression analysis, the Mayo model has gained the most popularity and was successfully validated in some centers. The aim of our study was to validate the Mayo survival model for Polish PBC patients and, in case of its inapplicability, to select prognostic variables and to create time-fixed and time-dependent survival models for the patients. We used database information on patients from 6 medical centers in Poland, fulfilling clinical, serological, and/or pathological criteria of PBC. The Mayo model was validated using data from 116 PBC patients. The time-fixed and time-dependent models were created using data on clinical and biochemical variables used in the Mayo model from 162 and 208 patients, respectively. The Mayo model validation was performed graphically and by one-sample log-rank tests after dividing the study sample into 3 groups of high, medium, and low risk. The survival analysis was performed using Cox's proportional hazards regression method on clinical and biochemical variables used in the Mayo model. Treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) was included in the time-dependent analysis. Validation showed that the Mayo model overestimated death risk in Polish PBC patients. Of the variables used in the Mayo model, serum bilirubin concentration appeared to be the only variable of prognostic importance. The analysis shows that serum bilirubin concentration holds most of the prognostic information for our PBC patients irrespective of prior treatment with UDCA.

Bilirubin↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Malignant lymphomas of follicular centre cell origin in man. VII. Prognostic features in small cleaved cell lymphoma.

To extend the clinical-pathologic description of small cleaved cell lymphoma (SCCL), we reviewed the records of 106 patients with SCCL who were treated in accordance with a policy of watchful waiting and palliative therapy. Median age was 58 years. A pure diffuse pattern was seen in only 16 per cent of cases. Stage III or IV disease was present in 85 per cent of patients; marrow involvement was noted in 60 per cent of patients. 'B' symptoms were present in 25 per cent of patients. By univariate analysis, age greater than 60, diffuse pattern, stage IV disease, involvement of liver, lung, pleura, or g-i tract, 'B' symptoms, surface heavy chain IgM or IgM-D, and LDH greater than 200 IU/dl were found to be significantly associated with a poor prognosis. Marrow involvement, increased (5-25 per cent) transformed (non-cleaved) cells, and surface light chain had no prognostic significance. By multivariate analysis, only age greater than 60, stage IV disease, and LDH greater than 200 IU/dl were prognostically significant. For patients with all three unfavourable prognostic features, median survival was only 11 months. For patients with age less than or equal to 60, stage I, II, or III disease, and LDH less than or equal to 200 IU/dl, median survival was not reached at 180 months. Recognition of prognostic features in indolent lymphoma can help clarify whether the results of treatment protocols represent true advances or the mere selection of favourable patients.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic impact of cytogenetic aberrations in patients with multiple myeloma or monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance.

Chromosomal aberrations are the most important prognostic factors in haematological malignancies. Detection of certain genetic changes leads to risk adapted strategies in leukaemia therapy. In multiple myeloma the importance of genetic alterations and their prognostic impact is of growing interest. Several therapeutic approaches seem to be uneffective for patients harbouring certain chromosomal abnormalities. Although the yield of metaphases due to a low proliferation rate is considerably lower in plasma cell dyscrasias, a number of chromosomal changes with prognostic implications have been identified in the past years, particularly due to the introduction of new techniques. This article gives a short survey of the most important genetic alterations and their prognostic influence on the outcome of patients with plasma cell malignancies known to date.

Chromosome Aberrations↗