Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) chemotherapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in pregnancy may be associated with preterm birth

Lymphoma, especially non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is extremely rare in pregnancy. A 24-year-old pregnant woman was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a subgroup of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, at 24 weeks' gestation, and was treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) chemotherapy. After 4 cycles of R-CHOP, she delivered a healthy baby via cesarean section at 34 weeks and 5 days' gestation because of preterm contraction-related fetal distress. The patient was administered the remaining 2 cycles of R-CHOP after delivery. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography showed complete remission. Here, we report a rare case of DLBCL successfully treated with R-CHOP chemotherapy during pregnancy, we also performed a systematic review of literature for similar cases. There were 3 earlier reports of R-CHOP treatment for DLBCL. All cases, including our case, resulted in preterm birth. Together, these findings suggest that R-CHOP chemotherapy for DLBCL in pregnancy may be associated with preterm birth.