Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a distinct variant of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma initially described in HIV-positive patients. Several studies have reported the occurrence of PBL in HIV-negative patients, but comparative data are lacking. The goal of this study was to compare the characteristics of HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients with PBL. A MEDLINE search was undertaken through August 2009 for cases of PBL in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. Cases were identified and clinicopathological data were gathered. χ(2) was used to compare categorical and t-test to compare continuous variables between groups. Calculated Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were compared using the log-rank test. Cox proportional-hazard regression was used for multivariate analysis. From 228 identified cases of PBL, 157 were HIV-positive and 71 HIV-negative. HIV-positive patients were younger, and more likely to be men, present with oral involvement, respond to chemotherapy, and express CD20, CD56, and EBV-encoded RNA than HIV-negative patients. In univariate analysis, age ≥60, advanced stage, bone marrow involvement, no chemotherapy, Ki-67 expression >80%, and HIV-negative status were associated with worse overall survival. In multivariate analysis, advanced stage and no chemotherapy were independent adverse prognostic factors. In conclusion, HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients with PBL have different clinicopathological characteristics, including a better response to chemotherapy and longer survival in HIV-positive patients.

Background. Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a variant of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma commonly seen in the oral cavity of HIV-infected individuals. PBL has a poor prognosis, but prognostic factors in patients who have received chemotherapy have not been adequately evaluated.Methods. An extensive literature search rendered 248 cases of PBL, from which 157 were HIV ؉ . Seventy cases with HIV-associated PBL that received chemotherapy were identified. Whenever possible, authors of the original reports were contacted to complete clinicopathological data. Univariate analyses were performed calculating Kaplan-Meier estimates and compared using the log-rank test.Results. The mean age was 39 years, with a male predominance. The mean CD4؉ count was 165 cells/mm 3 . Advanced clinical stage was seen in 51% and extraoral

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9110 Background: Pegfilgrastim reduces neutropenia risk in patients (pts) on cytotoxic chemotherapy. A single 6 mg dose per chemotherapy cycle commonly causes bone pain and leukocytosis. While half-dose pegfilgrastim has been shown to be safe and effective in breast cancer pts, there is no data on half-dose pegfilgrastim in general oncology pts. Methods: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of half-dose pegfilgrastim in general oncology pts on cytotoxic chemotherapy at St Francis Cancer Center. Pts who received at least one dose of 6 mg pegfilgrastim and developed NCI-CTCAE grade 2 or more bone pain and/or leukocytosis (WBC>10,000/ml) were given 3 mg dose pegfilgrastim on their following chemotherapy cycles. Pt demographics, type/number of chemotherapy regimens, efficacy, side effects and complications were evaluated. McNemar’s test, logistic regression analysis and ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. Results: Twenty-six pts (3 males, 23 females, all Caucasian) with median age 55 (range 34-86) received a total of eighty-three 3 mg doses of pegfilgrastim. Cancers treated were breast (N=16), colorectal (N=7), head and neck (N=1), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (N=1) and non-small cell lung cancer (N=1). Chemotherapy received was anthracycline (N=9), taxane (N=7), 5-FU/oxaliplatin (N=7), 5-FU/cisplatin (N=1), gemcitabine/oxaliplatin (N=1), pemetrexed/carboplatin (N=1). No neutropenia or chemotherapy dose modifications occurred on half-dose pegfilgrastim. In the 26 pts we report, bone pain occurred in 23 pts at 6 mg and 14 pts at 3 mg dose. Leukocytosis occurred in 23 pts at 6 mg and only 2 pts at 3 mg dose (McNemar’s test, P<0.01). While older age and full-dose pegfilgrastim were predictive of bone pain, more than one line of chemotherapy and half-dose pegfilgrastim were predictive of lack of leukocytosis (logistic regression analysis/ANOVA, P<0.01). Conclusions: Half-dose pegfilgrastim in general oncology pts receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy seems to be safe and effective with less bone pain and leukocytosis without resultant neutropenia or need for chemo modification. Larger prospective studies of half-dose pegfilgrastim in this setting are needed to further understand the feasibility of this approach.