Clinical characteristics
| . | 1980-1994 . | 1995-2004 . | P . | Overall (1980-2008) . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of patients | 451 | 365 | 929 | |
| Median age, y (range) | 68 (24-89) | 64 (28-96) | .005 | 67 (24-97) |
| Age younger than 70 y, % | 55.9 | 63.0 | .039 | 58.0 |
| Age distribution, % | < .001 | |||
| Younger than 50 y | 10.0 | 18.1 | 13.3 | |
| 50-59 y | 16.0 | 22.7 | 18.7 | |
| 60-69 y | 29.9 | 22.2 | 25.9 | |
| 70-79 y | 30.4 | 21.9 | 27.8 | |
| 80 y or older | 13.7 | 15.1 | 14.2 | |
| Sex, male, % | 54.3 | 58.4 | NS | 56.7 |
| Binet stage, % | .001 | |||
| A | 69.1 | 80.1 | 75.6 | |
| B | 18.6 | 13.0 | 15.6 | |
| C | 12.3 | 6.9 | 8.8 | |
| B symptoms, % | 4.3 | 6.9 | NS | 5.0 |
| Blood lymphocyte count, ×109/L, mean (SD) | 36.9 (57.7) | 26.3 (44.0) | .003 | 30.5 (49.7) |
| Fewer than 10 × 109/L, % | 20.6 | 35.1 | < .001 | 29.8 |
| 10-30 × 109/L, % | 52.4 | 43.7 | < .001 | 47.1 |
| More than 30 × 109/L, % | 27.0 | 21.3 | < .001 | 23.1 |
| Hemoglobin level less than 10 g/dL, % | 6.3 | 4.7 | NS | 5.0 |
| Platelet count less than 100 × 109/L, % | 6.5 | 3.9 | NS | 4.9 |
| Increased LDH level, % (n = 694) | 17.4 | 11.3 | .022 | 14.0 |
| Increased β2m level, % (n = 498) | 45.0 | 34.0 | .039 | 39.0 |
| Doubling time fewer than 12 mo, % (n = 498) | 29.3 | 21.2 | .038 | 22.5 |
| Diffuse bone marrow biopsy, % (n = 603) | 12.9 | 7.9 | .05 | 7.3 |
| . | 1980-1994 . | 1995-2004 . | P . | Overall (1980-2008) . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of patients | 451 | 365 | 929 | |
| Median age, y (range) | 68 (24-89) | 64 (28-96) | .005 | 67 (24-97) |
| Age younger than 70 y, % | 55.9 | 63.0 | .039 | 58.0 |
| Age distribution, % | < .001 | |||
| Younger than 50 y | 10.0 | 18.1 | 13.3 | |
| 50-59 y | 16.0 | 22.7 | 18.7 | |
| 60-69 y | 29.9 | 22.2 | 25.9 | |
| 70-79 y | 30.4 | 21.9 | 27.8 | |
| 80 y or older | 13.7 | 15.1 | 14.2 | |
| Sex, male, % | 54.3 | 58.4 | NS | 56.7 |
| Binet stage, % | .001 | |||
| A | 69.1 | 80.1 | 75.6 | |
| B | 18.6 | 13.0 | 15.6 | |
| C | 12.3 | 6.9 | 8.8 | |
| B symptoms, % | 4.3 | 6.9 | NS | 5.0 |
| Blood lymphocyte count, ×109/L, mean (SD) | 36.9 (57.7) | 26.3 (44.0) | .003 | 30.5 (49.7) |
| Fewer than 10 × 109/L, % | 20.6 | 35.1 | < .001 | 29.8 |
| 10-30 × 109/L, % | 52.4 | 43.7 | < .001 | 47.1 |
| More than 30 × 109/L, % | 27.0 | 21.3 | < .001 | 23.1 |
| Hemoglobin level less than 10 g/dL, % | 6.3 | 4.7 | NS | 5.0 |
| Platelet count less than 100 × 109/L, % | 6.5 | 3.9 | NS | 4.9 |
| Increased LDH level, % (n = 694) | 17.4 | 11.3 | .022 | 14.0 |
| Increased β2m level, % (n = 498) | 45.0 | 34.0 | .039 | 39.0 |
| Doubling time fewer than 12 mo, % (n = 498) | 29.3 | 21.2 | .038 | 22.5 |
| Diffuse bone marrow biopsy, % (n = 603) | 12.9 | 7.9 | .05 | 7.3 |
NS indicates not significant; and β2m, β2-microglobulin.