Molecular phenotypes and treatment modalities in predicting the prognosis for patients with gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

The prognosis of patients with gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (GI-DLBCL) varies remarkably. This study aims to evaluate the role of molecular phenotypes and treatment modalities in predicting the prognosis for patients with GI-DLBCL. From March 2006 to January 2016, ninety-nine patients with newly diagnosed GI-DLBCL were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients treated with surgery followed by chemotherapy (SCT, 48 cases) had a significant greater 2-year progression free survival (PFS, 79.4% vs. 63.6%, P = 0.040) and overall survival (OS, 94.7% vs. 85.0%, P = 0.039) than those treated with chemotherapy alone (CTa, 51 cases). No significant differences of 2-year PFS (68.8% vs. 73.2%, P = 0.639) and OS (93.9% vs. 85.6%, P = 0.150) were observed between germinal center B-cell-like (GCB, 41 cases) and non-GCB (40 cases) phenotypes. In the GCB group, patients treated with SCT (25 cases) had a significantly higher 2-year PFS (83.1% vs. 49.2%, P = 0.018) than those treated with CTa (16 cases), but not in the 2-year OS (P = 0.095). In the non-GCB group, no significant difference of survival was observed between these two treatment modalities (P > 0.05). In multivariate analysis, treatment modality was not an independent prognostic factor in either the whole cases or the GCB group (both P > 0.05). Molecular phenotypes of GCB and non-GCB might be failed to predict the survival for patients with GI-DLBCL. Patients treated with SCT had a higher survival in the whole cases and in the GCB group, but it was not an independent prognostic index. Multi-factors should be evaluated to select treatment modality.