Clinicopathological Spectrum of B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Pakistan Population: A Single-Center Study

Abstract

BackgroundB-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a common malignancy worldwide and in the Pakistani population. In our population, there was limited information regarding the clinicopathological characteristics of B-cell NHL. This study assessed the disease spectrum and most prevalent subtypes of B-cell NHL. MethodologyAn analysis of 548 cases was conducted in this cross-sectional study between January 2021 and September 2022, using a non-probability consecutive sampling approach. Patient age, gender, site of involvement, and diagnosis were documented according to the 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors of Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissue, published in 2018. Data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0, Armonk, NY). ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 47.73±20.44 years. There were 369 males (67.34%) and 179 females (32.66%). The most prevalent type of B-cell NHL was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (58.94%), followed by chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) (13.14%), Burkitt lymphoma (9.85%), and precursor B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (5.11%). In contrast to low-grade B-cell NHL (22.99%), high-grade B-cell NHL was more common (77.01%). Nodal involvement was observed in 62.04% of cases. The cervical region was the most common nodal site of involvement (62.04%), and the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was the most common extranodal site (48.29%). ConclusionThe incidence of B-cell NHL is higher in older age groups. The most common nodal site was the cervical region, whereas the extranodal site was the GIT. The most reported subtype was DLBCL, followed by CLL/SLL, and Burkitt lymphoma. The prevalence of high-grade B-cell NHL is higher than that of low-grade B-cell NHL.