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Acute severe lymphopenia by radiotherapy is associated with reduced overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma

Akute schwere Lymphopenie durch Strahlentherapie ist beim hepatozellulären Karzinom mit reduziertem Gesamtüberleben assoziiert

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Abstract

Purpose

Radiotherapy (RT) for peripheral organs can affect circulating lymphocytes and cause lymphopenia. We aimed to investigate RT-related lymphopenia in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

Medical records of 920 patients who received RT for HCC during 2001–2016 were reviewed. Total lymphocyte count (TLC) were obtained and analyzed for clinical outcome. Acute severe lymphopenia (ASL) was defined as TLC <500/μL within the first 3 months of the start of RT.

Results

The median TLCs before and 1 month after the start of RT were 1120 and 310/μl, respectively, and the TLCs did not recover to their initial level after 1 year. Overall, 87.4% of patients developed ASL. The median overall survival was 13.6 and 46.7 months for patients with and without ASL, respectively (p < 0.001). ASL was independently associated with poor overall survival with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.40; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02–1.91 (p = 0.035). In the multivariate analysis, larger planning target volume (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.03; p < 0.001) and lower baseline TLC (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.82–0.91; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with an increased risk of ASL, while hypofractionation (stereotactic body RT: HR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.07–0.49; p = 0.001) was significantly associated with a reduced risk of ASL.

Conclusion

Acute severe lymphopenia after RT was associated with poor overall survival in patients with HCC. Stereotactic body RT may reduce the risk of ASL. Further attention to and research on the cause, prevention, and reversal of this phenomenon are needed.

Zusammenfassung

Zielsetzung

Strahlentherapie (RT) für Peripherieorgane kann zirkulierende Lymphozyten schädigen und Lymphopenie verursachen. Wir haben zum Ziel, RT-bezogene Lymphopenie bei Patienten mit Leberkarzinom zu erforschen (HCC).

Methoden

Überprüft wurden medizinische Aufzeichnungen von 920 Patienten, die in den Jahren 2001–2016 eine Strahlentherapie bei HCC erhalten hatten. Die Gesamtanzahl der Lymphozyten (TLC) wurde bestimmt und für klinische Ergebnisse analysiert. Akute schwere Lymphopenie (ASL) wurde als TLC <500/μl innerhalb der ersten 3 Monate nach Beginn der RT definiert.

Ergebnisse

Der Mittelwert der TLC vor und 1 Monat nach Beginn der RT lag bei jeweils 1120 und 310/μl, und die TLC erreichte auch nach 1 Jahr nicht ihr Ursprungsniveau. Insgesamt entwickelten 87,4% der Patienten eine ASL. Die mittlere Gesamtüberlebensrate lag jeweils bei 13,6 und 46,7 Monaten bei Patienten mit und ohne ASL (p < 0,001). ASL wurde unabhängig mit schlechter Überlebensrate in Verbindung gesetzt (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1,40; 95%-Konfidenzintervall [KI] 1,02–1,91; p = 0,035). In der mehrdimensionalen Analyse wurden geplante Zielmenge (HR 1,02; 95%-KI 1,01–1,03; p < 0,001) und geringere TLC-Basislinie (HR 0,86; 95%-KI 0,82–0,91; p < 0,001) maßgeblich mit einem erhöhten Risiko von ASL in Verbindung gesetzt, während Hypofraktionierung (stereotaktische Körper-RT: HR 0,19; 95%-KI 0,07–0,49; p = 0,001) mit einem reduzierten Risiko von ASL in Verbindung gesetzt wird.

Schlussfolgerung

ASL nach RT wurde mit schlechter allgemeiner Überlebensrate bei Patienten mit HCC in Verbindung gebracht. Stereotaktische Körper-RT kann das Risiko von ASL reduzieren. Zusätzliche Aufmerksamkeit und Ursachenforschung, Verhütung und Umkehr dieses Phänomens werden benötigt.

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Funding

This study was supported by National Nuclear R&D Program through a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Grant number; 2017070426)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, 03722, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Korea (Republic of)

    Hwa Kyung Byun MD, Nalee Kim MD, Sangjoon Park MD & Jinsil Seong MD, PhD

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  1. Hwa Kyung Byun MD
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  2. Nalee Kim MD
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  3. Sangjoon Park MD
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  4. Jinsil Seong MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Jinsil Seong MD, PhD.

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H.K. Byun, N. Kim, S. Park and J. Seong declare that they have no competing interests.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.

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Byun, H.K., Kim, N., Park, S. et al. Acute severe lymphopenia by radiotherapy is associated with reduced overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma. Strahlenther Onkol 195, 1007–1017 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00066-019-01462-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00066-019-01462-5

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