Outcome of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in the United States Has Improved Over Time but Racial Disparities Remain: Review of SEER Data

BackgroundDiffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (DLBCL) outcome in the United States has not been reported outside the context of clinical trials.Patients and MethodsWe reviewed the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry and compared survival trends among DLBCL patients from 1973 to 2004.ResultsWe identified 59,728 patients (mean age, 63 years; 54.4% men, 86.7% white) and had staging information for 57%, including 30% early-stage (I/II) and 27% advanced-stage (III/IV). Median overall survival (OS) from 1973 to 1979, 1980 to 1989,1990 to 1999, and 2000 to 2004 was 15, 18, 20, and 47 months, respectively (P < .005). For the period from 2000 to 2004, 4-year OS was 46%. Outcome was better in white patients than in black (47 months versus 29 months) (P = .001). Median OS for patients younger than 60 years old was not reached versus 23 months for patients older than 60 years.ConclusionThe outcome of DLBCL in the United States has improved significantly in the era of monoclonal antibodies; however, racial disparities remain.