Angiocentric nasal T/natural killer cell lymphoma:: a single centre study of prognostic factors in 108 patients

Angiocentric T cell/natural killer (NK) nasal lymphoma remains a rare clinical presentation in North America and Europe but is more common in Asia and Latin America. We have reviewed 108 cases of angiocentric T/NK cell lymphoma of the nasal cavity with a view to establishing prognostic factors. Most patients were high or high intermediate clinical risk and had additional poor prognostic factors such as bulky disease, high levels of beta 2 microglobulin, advanced stage and multiple extranodal involvement. At 8 years, overall survival was 82%, 90% and 84% for low-intermediate, high-intermediate and high clinical, respectively. Disease free survival was very similar: 79%, 83% and 80%, respectively. Multivariate analysis did not identify any factor influencing overall survival and disease-free survival. There was no evidence that the international prognostic index (IPI) was applicable in these patients and it appears that angiocentric T/NK cell lymphoma is an independent prognostic factor itself.