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. 2010 May 24:10:231.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-10-231.

Improved survival for non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients in New South Wales, Australia

Xue Q Yu  1 , Wendy H Chen, Dianne L O'Connell
Affiliations

Improved survival for non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients in New South Wales, Australia

Xue Q Yu et al. BMC Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: We evaluated if the survival benefit of adding rituximab to standard chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) observed in clinical trials has been experienced by an Australian NHL patient population.

Methods: NHL cases diagnosed in 1985-2004 in New South Wales (NSW) were followed-up to the end of 2004. Rituximab prescription data were obtained from Medicare Australia. Using a Poisson regression model adjusted for age group, sex, NHL subtype and time period (1990-1994, 1995-1999 and 2000-2004), we estimated excess risk of death after a diagnosis of NHL. To give context to the survival trend, trends in incidence and mortality were also estimated.

Results: Compared with 1990-1994, after adjusting for age, sex and NHL subtype the relative excess risk of death was significantly lower (p < 0.0001) in 1995-1999 (0.89) and 2000-2004 (0.74). A sharp fall in mortality was observed from 2000 to 2004 (annual percentage change (APC) = -4.7, p = 0.009), while a small but significant rise in incidence was seen from 1990 to 2004 (APC = 0.5, p = 0.01). The number of times rituximab was dispensed in NSW increased rapidly from 1274 in 1999 to 9250 in 2004.

Conclusion: It is likely that some benefit of adding rituximab to the standard chemotherapy for NHL has been experienced at the population level.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Trends in five-year relative survival for NHL by age group at diagnosis, NSW Australia, 1990-2004.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trends in five-year relative survival for NHL by histological subtype, NSW Australia, 1990-2004.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Number of times rituximab was dispensed for treatment of NHL, NSW Australia, 1999-2004.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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