Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a disease with relatively poor prognosis, and radiotherapy is one of the important treatment methods. However, with the widespread application of high-dose methotrexate-based induction chemotherapy regimen and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation consolidation therapy, as well as the impairment of cognitive function after whole brain radiotherapy, the value of radiotherapy has been controversial in the past decade. This article reviews the application of radiotherapy in various treatment stages of PCNSL, the selection of radiotherapy target area and dose, and discusses the value of radiotherapy in the treatment of PCNSL.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of hepatic flare and evaluate efficacy of antiviral treatment in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection. Methods: A single-center, open-label, prospective study was conducted, and pregnant women with chronic HBV infection were enrolled. Liver function, HBV serum markers and HBV DNA of pregnant women with chronic HBV infection were reviewed during every 4 to 12 weeks of gestation period. The proportion and clinical characteristics of hepatitis flare during pregnancy were observed. Logistic regression analysis was used to predict hepatic flare in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection. Antiviral therapy with telbivudine (LdT) or tenofovir dipivoxil (TDF) was used to treat hepatic flare during pregnancy. Sequential entecavir (ETV) or TDF was applied after the delivery. Treatment course and drug withdrawal in pregnant women with hepatic flare was the same as those of the general patients with chronic hepatitis B. Liver function, HBV serum markers and HBV DNA were measured in pregnant women with hepatic flare at different time points (4, 12, 24 and 52 weeks). A t-test was used to compare the hepatic flare in pregnant women with and without hepatitis group. HBsAg and HBeAg were used to quantify the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of pregnant women with hepatic flare during pregnancy. Area under the ROC curve was used to calculate the optimal cut-off value corresponding to the maximum sensitivity and specificity of the ROC curve. Results: Of the 220 pregnant women with chronic HBV infection, 55 (25%) had hepatitis flare during pregnancy and received antiviral treatment. Among the 55 women with hepatic flare during gestation, 47 (85.46%) had hepatic flare in the mid-second trimester (12-24 weeks); average peak value of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was 220.62 U/L, and the average peak value of ALT in 32 cases (58.18%) of pregnant women with hepatic flare was between 2–5 × ULN. HBsAg and HBeAg quantification were significantly lower in pregnant women with hepatic flare during pregnancy than with non-hepatitis (t = -3.745, P < 0.001; t = -2.186, P = 0.030). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that pregnant women with HBeAg < 3.065 log10 s/co were 7.576 times more likely to have hepatic flare during pregnancy (95% confidence interval: 3.779-15.190). ALT normalization, undetectable HBV DNA levels, HBeAg loss and HBeAg seroconversion in 55 pregnant women with hepatic flare at 52-week treatment was 100% (55/55), 74.55% (41/55), 47.27% (26/55) and 41.82% (23/55), respectively. HBsAg quantification at 52 weeks was significantly lower than baseline HBsAg quantification (3.32 + 0.37) log₁₀ IU/ml and (3.95 + 0.40) log₁₀ IU/ml; t = 8.465, P < 0.001). Conclusion Hepatic flare often occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection and baseline HBeAg quantification is an independent predictor of hepatic flare. HBeAg seroconversion rate increased at 52 weeks after antiviral therapy.

Objective There is still a lack of effective clinical prognostic factors for predicting outcomes and guiding treatments in extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL).This study was aimed to investigate the clinical features and prognostic role of primary tumor burden (PTB).Methods A total of 1383 patients were recruited from ten hospitals, including 947 stage Ⅰ patients (68.5%), 326 stage Ⅱ patients (23.6%), and 110 stage Ⅲ-IV patients (8.0%).There were 751 patients (54.3%) presenting with high PTB (H-PTB).The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates, and the log-rank test was conducted for survival difference analysis.Meanwhile, a multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox regression model.Results H-PTB was associated with high invasive potential, high frequency of B symptoms, advanced stage, regional lymph node involvement, lactate dehydrogenase elevation, and poor performance status.The patients with H-PTB had significantly lower 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates than those with low PTB (L-PTB)(OS:50.2% vs.72.1%, P=0.000;PFS:41.8% vs.62.5, P=0.000).PTB was an independent prognostic factor for both OS (HR=1.851) and PFS (HR=1.755) according to the Cox multivariate analysis.Moreover, H-PTB was associated with significantly lower locoregional control (LRC) in early-stage NKTCL, and the 5-year LRC rate was 71.6% in patients with H-PTB and 84.3% in those with L-PTB (P=0.000).Conclusions H-PTB is associated with multiple adverse clinical features in NKTCL, and it is an independent indicator for poor outcomes and LRC.H-PTB can be used as a reliable indicator for risk stratification and treatment decision.

Objective To evaluate the prognostic value of anemia in patients diagnosed with extranodal nasal-type natural killer (NK)/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL).Methods Clinical data of 1 225 NKTCL patients receiving the first course of treatment from 10 medical institutions in China were retrospectively analyzed.According to the diagnostic criteria in China,anemia was defined as the hemoglobin (Hb) level＜ 120 g/L for the male and＜ 110 g/L for the female from the sea-level area.The severity of anemia was classified into the extremely severe anemia (Hb ≤ 30 g/L),severe anemia (31-60 g/L),moderate anemia (61-90 g/L) and mild anemia (＞90 g/L).Results Among 1 225 patients,199(16.2％) were complicated with anemia,who had more adverse prognostic factors compared with their counterparts without anemia.Among NKTCL patients with anemia,the proportion of patients with stage Ⅱ-ⅣV,a median age＞ anemia,Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 2-4 and NK/T-cell lymphoma prognostic index (NKTCLPI) ≥ 2 was relatively high.Patients with anemia obtained worse clinical prognosis than those without anemia.The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in NKTCL patients with anemia were calculated as 49.4％ and 35.4％,significantly lower compared with 63.3％ and 56.0％ in their counterparts without anemia (both P＜0.01).Single factor analysis demonstrated that anemia,age,ECOG score,group B symptom,lactate dehydrogenase,primary tumor site,primary tumor invasion and staging were the prognostic factors of OS and PFS.Multivariate analysis revealed that anemia was still the independent prognostic factor.Conclusions Anemia is not common in patients with NKTCL and these patients obtain poor clinical prognosis.Anemia is an independent prognostic factor for patients with NKTCL.

Objective To analyze the clinical features and prognosis of extra-nodal nasal NK/T cell lymphoma originated from the larynx. Methods Clinical data of 15 cases of extra-nodal nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma originated from the larynx were retrospectively analyzed. The overall survival ( OS ) and progression-free survival ( PFS) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The effect of different clinical factors on the clinical prognosis was assessed by univariate analysis. Results Among 15 patients,13 cases were male and 2 female. The median age of onset was 40 years. In 8 cases,the lesions were confined to the larynx,and only 4 cases suffered from cervical lymph node involvement. According to Ann Abor staging, 11 cases were classified as grade I,3 as gradeⅡand 1 as gradeⅢ.The median OS was 28. 0 months and the 5-year OS was 32. 0％.The median PFS was 24. 7 months and the 5-year PFS was 33. 3％.Among 14 patients with stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ,the clinical prognosis of patients receiving combined chemo-radiotherapy was significantly better than those of their counterparts undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone ( median OS:37. 2 vs. 11. 2 vs.3. 7 months,P=0. 004) . Conclusion Extra-nodal nasal NK/T cell lymphoma originated from the larynx is extremely rare, predominantly in middle-aged male patients. The general condition is relatively favorable. Patients present with multiple lesions in the early stage and relatively poor prognosis. The clinical efficacy of chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy is probably higher compared with that of radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma of the extra-upper aerodigestive tract (extra-UADT NKTCL).Methods:The clinical data of 159 patients with extra-UADT NKTCL from the China Lymphoma Collaborative Group (CLCG) database between November 2001 and December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Log-rank test were used to evaluate the prognosis. The Cox regression model is used for multi-factor analysis.Results:Extra-UADT NKTCL commonly occurs in skin and soft tissues (106/159, 66.7%) and gastrointestinal tract (31/159, 19.5%). The incidences of elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Ann Arbor Ⅲ~Ⅳ stage were 47.8% (76/159) and 64.2% (102/159), respectively. The 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 43.6% and 27.9%, respectively. The corresponding OS rates of primary skin/soft tissue site and gastrointestinal tract site were 41.0% and 59.4% ( P=0.281), while the PFS rates were 24.8% and 48.3%, respectively ( P=0.109). Combined modality treatment improved the 3-year OS of all the patients (58.4% vs 33.9%, P=0.001) and 3-year PFS (40.7% vs 20.7%, P=0.008) when compared with chemotherapy alone. LDH elevation, Ann Arbor synthesising and ≥2 junction external bits were intrusive as independent risk factors for total survival ( P<0.05), LDH elevation and ≥2 junction outer bits were intrusive as independent risk factors for progressionless survival( P<0.05). The distant extranodal dissemination was the primary failure patterns. Conclusions:Extra-UADT NKTCL appears to have distinct clinical characteristics and poor outcome. Compared with chemotherapy alone, combined modality treatment may improve the prognosis of patients with extra-UADT NKTCL.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma of the extra-upper aerodigestive tract (extra-UADT NKTCL).Methods:The clinical data of 159 patients with extra-UADT NKTCL from the China Lymphoma Collaborative Group (CLCG) database between November 2001 and December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Log-rank test were used to evaluate the prognosis. The Cox regression model is used for multi-factor analysis.Results:Extra-UADT NKTCL commonly occurs in skin and soft tissues (106/159, 66.7%) and gastrointestinal tract (31/159, 19.5%). The incidences of elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Ann Arbor Ⅲ~Ⅳ stage were 47.8% (76/159) and 64.2% (102/159), respectively. The 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 43.6% and 27.9%, respectively. The corresponding OS rates of primary skin/soft tissue site and gastrointestinal tract site were 41.0% and 59.4% ( P=0.281), while the PFS rates were 24.8% and 48.3%, respectively ( P=0.109). Combined modality treatment improved the 3-year OS of all the patients (58.4% vs 33.9%, P=0.001) and 3-year PFS (40.7% vs 20.7%, P=0.008) when compared with chemotherapy alone. LDH elevation, Ann Arbor synthesising and ≥2 junction external bits were intrusive as independent risk factors for total survival ( P<0.05), LDH elevation and ≥2 junction outer bits were intrusive as independent risk factors for progressionless survival( P<0.05). The distant extranodal dissemination was the primary failure patterns. Conclusions:Extra-UADT NKTCL appears to have distinct clinical characteristics and poor outcome. Compared with chemotherapy alone, combined modality treatment may improve the prognosis of patients with extra-UADT NKTCL.

Objective:To evaluate the prognosis and determine the failure patterns after radiotherapy for low-risk early-stage patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type (ENKTCL).Methods:A total of 557 patients from 2000—2015 with low-risk early-stage ENKTCL who received radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy (CT) from China Lymphoma Collaborative Group were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 427 patients received combined modality therapy, whereas 130 patients received RT alone. Survivals were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared with Log-rank test. Overall survival (OS) was compared with age and sex-matched general Chinese population using expected survival and standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Cox stepwise regression model was used for multivariate analysis.Results:The 5-year OS and progression-free survival (PFS) were 87.2% and 77.2%. The SMR was 3.59 ( P<0.001) at 1 year after treatment, whereas it was 1.50 at 4 years after treatment, without significant difference between ENKTCL group and country-matched general population ( P=0.146). Compared with RT alone, CMT did not result in significantly superior 5-year OS (87.0% vs 87.4%, P=0.961) or PFS (76.1% vs 80.7%, P=0.129). Local failure (11.5%, 64/557) and distant failure (10.8%, 60/557) were the main failure modes, while regional failure was rare (2.9%, 16/557). The 5-year locoregional control rate (LRC) was 87.2% for the whole group, with 89.5% for ≥50 Gy versus 73.7% for <50 Gy ( P<0.001). Radiotherapy dose was an independent factor affecting LRC( P<0.05). Conclusions:Radiotherapy achieves a favorable prognosis in patients with low-risk early-stage ENKTCL. The incidence of either locoregional or distant failure is low. Radiation dose still is an important prognostic factor for LRC.

Objective:To evaluate the prognosis and determine the failure patterns after radiotherapy for low-risk early-stage patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type (ENKTCL).Methods:A total of 557 patients from 2000—2015 with low-risk early-stage ENKTCL who received radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy (CT) from China Lymphoma Collaborative Group were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 427 patients received combined modality therapy, whereas 130 patients received RT alone. Survivals were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared with Log-rank test. Overall survival (OS) was compared with age and sex-matched general Chinese population using expected survival and standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Cox stepwise regression model was used for multivariate analysis.Results:The 5-year OS and progression-free survival (PFS) were 87.2% and 77.2%. The SMR was 3.59 ( P<0.001) at 1 year after treatment, whereas it was 1.50 at 4 years after treatment, without significant difference between ENKTCL group and country-matched general population ( P=0.146). Compared with RT alone, CMT did not result in significantly superior 5-year OS (87.0% vs 87.4%, P=0.961) or PFS (76.1% vs 80.7%, P=0.129). Local failure (11.5%, 64/557) and distant failure (10.8%, 60/557) were the main failure modes, while regional failure was rare (2.9%, 16/557). The 5-year locoregional control rate (LRC) was 87.2% for the whole group, with 89.5% for ≥50 Gy versus 73.7% for <50 Gy ( P<0.001). Radiotherapy dose was an independent factor affecting LRC( P<0.05). Conclusions:Radiotherapy achieves a favorable prognosis in patients with low-risk early-stage ENKTCL. The incidence of either locoregional or distant failure is low. Radiation dose still is an important prognostic factor for LRC.