JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY, cilt.42, sa.16, ss.1-2, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Background: Head and neck malignancies account for around 10% of lymphomas, with diffuse
large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) being the most prevalent histologic subtype. Head and neck
lymphoma is as the second most pervasive location for extra-nodal lymphoma, following the
gastrointestinal system. This study focused on examining the demographic characteristics,
main localization distribution, and survival rate of patients with head and neck lymphoma at
the Çukurova University Medical Oncology Clinic. Methods: We conducted a retrospective
analysis of 97 individuals diagnosed with single-center, head, and neck diffuse large B-cell
lymphoma (DLBCL) from 2011 to 2020. Data pertaining to patients was acquired from electronic
medical records. The patients were categorized based on anatomical localization, and survival
rates and survival data were computed for each primary localization. Results: Out of the total
number of patients, 48 (49.5%) were female, and 49 (50.5%) were male. The patients had a
median age of 59.5 years. Waldeyer’s ring was the most frequent site of primary head and neck
tumor localization in patients with DLBCL, accounting for 42.4% of cases. The distribution of
anatomical sites was as follows: nasopharynx accounted for 30.8%, nasal cavity accounted for
10.3%, thyroid accounted for 6.2%, parotid accounted for 5.2%, oral cavity accounted for 3.9%,
and other anatomical sites accounted for 1.2%. Based on the Ann Arbor staging approach, 65%
of the patients were classified as stage I-II. The 3-year survival rate was 71%, while the 5-year
survival rate was 61%. The overall survival of individuals with nasopharyngeal lymphoma was
considerably shorter when compared to those with non-nasopharyngeal lymphomas
(p=0.0372). Conclusions: We conducted a thorough analysis of the data pertaining to lymphomas characterized by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) occurring in the head and
neck region. The study found that when the nasopharynx is affected, it is linked to a worse
prognosis and may necessitate more intensive treatment. Our work is a retrospective study
conducted at a single center. However, future investigations with a more significant number of
participants and a prospective design is necessary. Research Sponsor: None