OBJECTIVETo investigate the prognostic significance of Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index 2 (FLIPI2) in FL patients treated with rituximab maintenance.

METHODSA tatol of 140 newly diagnosed FL patients who received Rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP) chemotherapy in our department were retrospectively analyzed from December 2002 to December 2014. Among 140 patients with FL 122 patients achieved response, from them 56 patients received R maintenance (RM) every 2 months for median 8 times (RM group) while the rest 66 patients did not receive further anti-lymphoma treatment (non-RM group).

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in age, sex, pathologic grading, staging, FLIPI or FLIPI2 between RM and non-RM groups. The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) of RM and non-RM groups were 89.7% and 77.6% (P=0.043) while the 2-year overall survival were 100% and 98.6% (P=0.131). FLIPI2 is a significant prognostic model either in the total cohort, RM or non-RM groups (P<0.001 all). In subgroup analysis, RM was able to decrease disease progression in low and intermediate-risk group of FLIPI2, while the 2-year PFS of RM and non-RM groups in high-risk group were similar (55.6% vs 46.9%)(P=0.920).

CONCLUSIONFLIPI2 presents robust prognostic significance either in RM or OBS patients, the patients in FLIPI2 low and intermediate-risk group may benefite from RM, but the role of RM in high-risk patients should be further to investigate.