Adults who have survived Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) for at least five years face significantly elevated long-term health risks, according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre, whose findings have been published in a research letter in JAMA Network.
The retrospective population-based study was led by Bryan Valcarcel, MD, instructor, and Luis Malpica Castillo, MD, associate professor, both of the Department of Lymphoma & Myeloma.
The researchers analysed data from 2000-2017 including more than 20 000 adult HL survivors, with an average age of 36. They discovered 2 899 deaths among survivors, while just 1 481 deaths would have been expected in the general population. While the majority were related to cancer, non-cancer conditions also were increased in these patients.
“Thanks to advances in treatment, patients are living longer. However, our findings confirm comprehensive survivorship care focused on cardiovascular health, secondary cancers and other chronic conditions are important to improve long-term survival outcomes,” Malpica said.
Additional key findings
Apart from the elevated risk of death in five-year survivors, researchers found the increased risk was also present in those who had survived at least 10 years. However, non-cancer causes represented the largest cumulative mortality burden in these long-term survivors, followed by other cancers, cardiovascular disease and reoccurrence of HL.
Overall, the highest relative risks were seen among younger adults diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 39 and among several racial and ethnic minority groups.
Mortality rates were lower among patients diagnosed in recent years, reflecting ongoing progress in treatment.
The study’s findings reinforce the need for ongoing surveillance and personalised survivorship strategies, said the team.
JAMA Network article – Mortality Outcomes Among Long-Term Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors (Open access)
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