[Clinical characteristics and treatment response in adult patients with non-Hodgkin's chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)].

Objective: To determine comorbidities, clinical characteristics, and treatment response in adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and follicular lymphoma (FL).

Methods: The design was observational from reviewing the medical records of patients seen in outpatient and inpatient settings. It included ≥50 subjects who demanded attention during the period 2008-2012 and that met specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. The main measures were: comorbidity (population group), clinical stage, patient treatment, response to treatment, overall survival, progression-free survival, and mortality.

Statistical Analysis: p<0.05.

Results: 270 patients (CLL=90, DLBCL=81, FL=99) were recruited, with a mean age of 72.5, 65.5, and 62.4 years, respectively. These groups of neoplasms, compared with the general population, showed a higher percentage of men (60.0, 56.8 and 52.6 vs. 46.2%) and morbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index: 1.6, 1.5, 1.4 vs. 0.4, respectively; p<0.05). The administration of chemotherapy treatment was 28.9 vs. 86.4 and 90.9%, respectively (p<0.001). Overall survival at five years was 84.4, 45.0 and 68.5%, respectively (p=0.027), while mortality rates were 17.0 vs. 35.3 and 20.6%, respectively (p=0.041). Compared with other treatments, with administered rituximab the median progression-free survival was 6.8 vs. 4.2 years (p<0.001). These differences were maintained for the three neoplasms.

Conclusions: Comorbidity associated with hematological malignancies is high. The chronic lymphocytic leukemia group showed increased survival with lower mortality rate. Rituximab showed a higher progression-free survival in these neoplasms.