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. 2025 Aug 12;6(4):e70133.
doi: 10.1002/jha2.70133. eCollection 2025 Aug.

A Pilot Collaborative Study to Improve the Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients With Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in Senegal: The LYMPHODAK Study

Saliou Diop  1 , Charline Moulin  2 , Sokhna Aïssatou Touré  1 , Serigne Mourtalla Gueye  1 , Sabine Deltour  2 , Yankhoba Diop  3 , Fatou Samba Ndiaye  1 , Mouhamadou Cherif Dial  4 , Hervé Sartelet  5 , Moussa Seck  1 , Seynabou Fall  1 , Alioune Badara Senghor  1 , Awa Oumar Touré  1 , Blaise Felix Faye  1 , Elimane Seydi Bousso  1 , Alioune Badara Diallo  1 , Mohamed Keita  1 , Elhadji Daouda Niang  1 , Nata Dieng  1 , Jean Vigneron  6 , Catherine Thieblemont  6   7 , Vincent Lévy  8   9 , Martine Raphael  9 , Pierre Feugier  2
Affiliations

A Pilot Collaborative Study to Improve the Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients With Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in Senegal: The LYMPHODAK Study

Saliou Diop et al. EJHaem. .

Abstract

Introduction: Management of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in Africa is hampered by limited access to diagnosis and treatment, due to the small number of haematopathologists and lack of clear healthcare pathway. A cooperation between France and Senegal was established to improve diagnosis and provide access to the standard-of-care (R-CHOP) to patients with DLBCL in Dakar.

Results: Surgical biopsies were examined in Senegal, then through the Internet Pathology Suite platform, and, when needed, further studied in France. A diagnosis was thus reached for 65/70 biopsies from adults with suspected lymphoma, including 31 DLBCL. A total of 30 patients entered a pilot treatment of six cures of R-CHOP, follow-up and support therapy, between July 2018 and May 2022. The overall response rate was 73% with 57% of complete responses. With a median follow-up of 11.4 months, 24-month overall and progression-free survival rates are of 80% (95% CI 58-91) and 74% (95% CI 50-88). Grade 3/4 haematological toxicity was reported in 20% of the cases.

Conclusion: This study brings the proof-of-concept that an accurate DLBCL diagnosis can be obtained in Senegal with organized support and that R-CHOP therapy can be properly conducted, yielding the expected efficacy with acceptable safety.

Trial registration: SEN18/11.

Keywords: Africa; DLBCL; RCHOP.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow chart of the study.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Survival outcomes (Kaplan–Meier curves) in the 30 patients with DLBCL patients who received treatment. A) Overall survival (OS, seven events). B) Progression‐free survival (PFS, eight events). The dotted lines represent 95% confidence intervals. Six deaths were due to lymphoma and one to an unknown cause.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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