Journal: Clinical and experimental medicine
This retrospective study analyzed 294 stage I natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) patients treated with radiation therapy (RT) alone or combined with asparaginase-based chemotherapy across three centers in China. The findings were validated using data from 242 patients in the SEER database.
The study identified two independent prognostic factors for progression-free and overall survival:
- Local invasion (such as bone involvement or extension into paranasal sinuses)
- Treatment modality
Key outcomes include:
- Combined chemotherapy and RT significantly improved 5-year progression-free survival (85.3% vs. 65.2%) and overall survival (91.4% vs. 82.0%) compared to RT alone.
- In patients without local invasion, chemotherapy did not improve outcomes.
- Substantial benefit from chemotherapy was observed only in patients with local invasion.
- These results remained consistent after propensity score matching.
- SEER data showed chemotherapy improved survival in patients with non-nasal primary sites but not in those with nasal/nasopharyngeal disease.
Overall, RT alone is effective for stage I NKTCL patients without local invasion, while chemotherapy provides added benefit for those with local invasion.