In DLBCL, NOS variants which trend to spread or to the central nervous system, methotrexate has been recommended to be added to regimens not containing it for use as prophylaxis to reduce the incidence of this complication. The role of Autologous stem-cell transplantation as an addition to first-line therapy in the treatment of DLBCL, NOS, including cases with a poor prognosis, is unclear.A phase I clinical research trial found that the addition of lenalidomide to the R-CHOP regimen produce an ~80% complete response rate in GBC as well as non- GBC DLBCL, NOS variants. Two phase III clinical research trials are underway to confirm these results and determine if the R-CHOP + lenalidomide regimen is superior to R-CHOP in the up-front treatment of GBC and/or non-GBC variants. Treatment of recurrent and refractory DLBCL, NOS
Patients with DLBCL, NOS who relapse or progress following first-line therapy have been treated with "salvage regimens" consisting of high-dose (also termed high-intensity) chemotherapy conditioning drugs followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. This regimen has attained 3-year progression-free survival rates of 21–37%. Relapse following this treatment carries a very poor prognosis with median overall survival times of ~10 months. Patients who have failed or because of health issues are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplantation have been treated with low-dose (i.e. low-intensity) chemotherapy conditioning regimens followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation. This regimen has achieved 3 year progression-free and overall survival rates of 41% and 52%, respectively. Further studies are underway to determine the best treatment regimens for these cases.
In the remaining ~30% of other cases, the disease begins as an extranodal lymphoma, most commonly in the stomach, or, less commonly, in other sites such as the testicles, breasts, uterus, ovaries, kidneys, adrenal glands, thyroid gland, or bone. The presenting signs and symptoms in these cases reflect the presence of a rapidly expanding tumor or infiltrate that produces symptoms specific to the organ of involvement such as increased size, pain, and/or dysfunction. Individuals with nodal or extranodal disease also present with: systemic B symptoms such as weight loss, night sweats, fevers, and/or fatigue in ~33% of cases; unexplained elevations in their blood levels of lactic acid dehydrogenase and beta-2 microglobulin in many cases; malignant cells infiltrating their bone marrow in 10–20% of cases; and/or localized Stage I or II disease in up to 50% of cases and disseminated Stage III or IV disease in the remaining cases. Bone marrow involvement may be due to DLBCL, NOS cells or low grade lymphoma cells; only DLBCL, NOS cell infiltrates indicate a worse prognosis. Uncommonly, DLBCL may arise as a transformation of marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) in individuals who have been diagnosed with this indolent cancer 4–5 years (median times) previously. Prognostic indicators based on clinical presentation
The International Prognostic Index and more recently, the Indexs age-adjusted variant use age >60 years, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase levels, low performance status, and involvement in more than one extranodal site as contributors to a poor prognosis in patients with DLBCL, NOS.