Age is the most important predictor of survival in diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma patients achieving event‐free survival at 24 months: a Swedish population‐based study

Routine follow‐up for diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma have been shortened to 2 years when event‐free survival at 24 months (EFS24) emerged as a new milestone. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether the achievement of this milestone affected overall survival (OS). We compared OS to that of an age‐ and sex‐matched population, analysed other factors governing OS, and reviewed the causes of death. Data were collected from the Swedish Cancer Registry and from individual patient’s records. We included 1169 adult patients from five counties between the years 2001 and 2014. The median (range) age was 64·6 (18–91) years, 56·6% were men and the median follow‐up was 82·3 months. For early stages, the achievement of EFS12 did not improve OS. More than two‐thirds of the patients (n = 837, 71·6%) achieved EFS24, of which 190 (22·7%) died during follow‐up. Lymphoma (20%), cardiovascular disease (22·4%) and malignancies (16%) contributed to causes of death. Patients aged <60 years had an OS that matched the standard population. In multivariate analysis, only age >60 years significantly affected OS after EFS24 compared with the standard population. We concluded that follow‐up beyond EFS24 should be considered for patients aged >60 years.