Compared with older survivors of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), younger survivors appear to have a higher risk of acute renal failure, pneumonia, and nutritional deficiency, according to research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
In 2019, data suggested that more than 700,000 people who survived NHL were alive in the United States. Although this group of diseases is most frequently diagnosed among patients older than 60 years, younger patients diagnosed with NHL more frequently receive intensive therapy regimens.
Among younger patients with B cell NHL in particular, the aggressive treatments used have a known link to cardiovascular disease. It was previously unknown, however, what noncardiovascular long-term effects were more likely to be found among younger survivors of B cell NHL than among older survivors.
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For this study, researchers aimed to determine whether younger survivors of B cell NHL were more likely to develop age-related diseases other than cardiovascular disease than their older counterparts. The results for each age-group were matched against findings in the general population.
Overall, data from 2129 survivors of B cell NHL and 8969 people from the general population were included. In the younger than 65 years and at least 65 years B cell NHL age groups, 54.9% and 54.1% of patients were male sex, respectively; 96.9% and 98.8% of patients were White, 65.4% and 52.8% had a baseline Charlson comorbidity index of 0, and 89.1% and 88% were nonsmokers.
Analysis showed that, at 5 years or more post-diagnosis, younger survivors had higher relative risks of renal failure (hazard ratio [HR], 2.24; 99% CI, 1.48-3.39), pneumonia (HR, 2.42; 99% CI, 1.68-3.49), and nutritional deficiency (HR, 2.08; 99% CI, 1.48-2.92).
“This study may present areas for which screening and management of acute and chronic health conditions are crucial for the long-term health outcomes of [B cell] NHL survivors,” the authors wrote.
Disclosure: The study author(s) declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors’ disclosures.
Reference
Ocier K, Abdelaziz S, Kim S, et al. Age-related disease risks in younger versus older B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2021;30(12):2268-2277. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-21-0190
