Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Anemia in Lymphoma Lenfomada Aneminin Prevalansı ve Prognostik Önemi

Objective: Anemia is common in cancer patients and has adverse effects on prognosis. In this study, we investigated the prevalence, etiological causes, and effects of anemia on the prognosis of patients with lymphoma. Methods: We analyzed 153 newly diagnosed lymphoma cases. The hemoglobin (Hb) cut-off value for the diagnosis of anemia was set as Hb <12 g/dL in women and Hb <13 g/dL in men. Cases with anemia were classified as mild (Hb =10 g/dL-normal value), moderate (Hb =8-9.9 g/dL), and severe (Hb <8 g/dL) anemia. The relationship between the presence and degree of anemia and the revised international prognostic index (r-IPI) score, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score, Ann Arbor stage, presence of B symptoms, bulky mass, extra-nodal involvement, and life status was evaluated. Results: Anemia was detected in 82 (53.6%) patients, and the most common cause of anemia was chronic disease anemia (30.5%). There was no significant relationship between the presence of anemia and the presence of bulky mass, r-IPI score, performance score, or Ann Arbor stage. A significant correlation was found between the degree of anemia and the presence of extranodal involvement and B symptoms (p<0.001, p=0.01, respectively). A significant correlation was found between the presence and degree of anemia and overall survival (p=0.011, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Anemia is common in Hodgkin and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients and is associated with some worse prognostic factors. Therefore, further studies examining more cases and including patients in all non-Hodgkin lymphoma subgroups are needed to better understand the importance of anemia in lymphoma cases.