Lymphoma Survivorship

Dear Colleagues,

Survivorship is becoming an important aspect of cancer patient care. The prevalence of long-term survivors is steadily increasing. Starting in 1975, when there were 3.6 million cancer survivors in the United States, it is now estimated that are more than 16 million patients who have been in remission for at least 5 years since diagnosis and it is predicted that there will be 22 million by 2030. These numbers are due to the amelioration of early detection and treatment modalities and also to a rising incidence. It is estimated that 1 every 5 people over 65 years are cancer survivors.

Lymphomas comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases with different treatments and outcomes. The histotypes of lymphoma that present the highest cure rates and, therefore, constitute the most representative population of long-term lymphoma survivors are made up of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). CHL prevalently affects patients at their II–III decade of life and presents 5-year overall survival of about 85%; CHL survivors constitute a population of young patients at high risk of developing numerous comorbidities. DLBCL is the most common form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, which accounts for approximately 30% of annual diagnoses. It presents a median age at onset of about 60 years and the 5-years overall survival for this histotype reaches 65%.

Patients treated for these diseases may present different toxicities even many years after anti-tumor treatment. The main late sequelae that affect lymphoma survivors are cardiotoxicity, secondary neoplasms, infertility, and endocrine-metabolic and cognitive disorders. The follow-up of late sequelae of chemotherapy and radiotherapy affecting lymphoma survivors is therefore multidisciplinary. The approaches are highly variable, depending on the country, healthcare system, and varying from outpatient cancer-free programs to general practitioner management. The guidelines currently available on survivorship are mainly based on evidence emerging from experiences with solid tumors. Therefore, lymphoma survivors, as a population, require more detailed data for the monitoring of late toxicities and their prevention by correcting unhealthy lifestyles. Given their ever-increasing number, the scientific community and national healthcare systems are focusing on improving follow-up methods and the quality of life.

This Special Issue entitled “Lymphoma survivorship” will collect evidence related to i) incidence, ii) early diagnosis, and iii) monitoring of late sequelae of lymphoma treatment, with a particular focus on CHL and DLBCL. The Special Issue will evaluate available data, providing a deeper understanding of the problem and contributing to the development of homogeneous indications for patient monitoring using a systematic approach. The scope also includes finding a balance between unmet medical needs and the sustainability of healthcare systems. The Special Issue is open to contributions with a particular focus on systematic reviews of the literature following the PRISMA statement, position papers from national scientific societies, and case-control, cohort, or controlled clinical studies. The final documents could be a reasonable bridge from evidence to decision in order to standardize clinical practice and customize the general follow-up approach for CHL and DLBCL survivors.

Dr. Francesco Merli
Dr. Monica Balzarotti
Dr. Alessandra Tucci
Guest Editors

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• Lymphoma
• survivorship
• long-term toxicity
• follow-up
• prevention