Repetitive Low-Dose Radiation Therapies As an Alternative Option for Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Introduction:Low-dose radiation therapy (LD-RT) is a therapeutic option in indolent non Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas (iNHL), usually in the palliative setting. If most iNHL are highly sensitive to radiation therapy, with good local control obtained with a dose of 4 Gy in 2 fractions, little is known about the efficacy and outcome of repetitive courses of LD-RT. We report here the results of a study cohort of repetitive LD-RT in iNHL.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all iNHL patients treated by two or more courses of LD-RT at Gustave Roussy, between January 1990 and December 2015. Patients received LD-RT as palliative treatment for low-bulky disease, patient's comfort or painful adenopathy. Clinical data, histological types, outcome and treatment lines were collected. Overall survival was the time between lymphoma diagnosis and death from any cause. Last LD-RT follow-up period was the time between the last LD-RT session and latest news.

Results: Thirty-five pts were analyzed. Among them, 24 pts (69%) had Follicular Lymphoma (FL), 6 pts (17%) Marginal Zone Lymphoma (MZL), 3 pts (9%) had B-cell primitive Cutaneous Lymphoma Follicular Type (CL-FL) and 2 pts (6%) Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma (NLPHL). At lymphoma diagnosis, median age was 57 years [range 20-80]. Ann Arbor stage was I-II in 18 pts (51%), and III-IV in 17 pts (49%). Patients received a median of 4 therapeutics lines (range 2-11), and 2 LD-RT courses (range 2-6). Median overall survival was 146 months [29-298 months]. Four patients had died: 2 of disease progression and 2 others from concomitant illness (1 cardiac disease and 1 hepatocellular carcinoma). No patient had experienced transformation to diffuse large B cell lymphoma after RT-LD treatments. In the vast majority of cases (31/35; 89%), the LD-RT were successively performed to lymphoma relapse outside irradiation fields. Exclusive repetitive courses of LD-RT without chemotherapy were received by 8/35 (23%) of patients; while 24/35 (69%) patients received repetitive LD-RT alternately with immunotherapies or chemotherapies; and 3/35 (9%) others repetitive LD-RT alternately with standard dose RT.

After the second course of LD-RT, 12/35 (34%) patients were managed in watch and wait approach, 6/35 (17%) received another LD-RT and 17/35 (49%) patients had experienced a progressive disease and were treated with immunotherapy or chemotherapy or standard dose radiotherapy.

The LD-RT was the last treatment modality in 18/35 (51%) patients with histological types distributed in FL (n=10), MZL (n=5) and CT-FL (n=3). With a median last LD-RT follow up of 32 months [7-177 months], 23/35 (66%) patients remained in complete remission, 9/35 patients (26%) had experienced progressive disease and 3/35 (9%) patients had obtained stable disease.

Conclusion: As palliative treatment modality, the repetitive low dose radiation therapy 4 Gy in two fractions could provide alternative option treatment in iNHL. This study support further investigations of this simple, well tolerated and not costly therapy in iNHL, especially in the context of new immunotherapeutic agent's area.