Primary Lymphoma of the Female Genital Tract: An Analysis of 697 Cases

Objective: Primary lymphoma of the female genital tract (PLFGT) is a rare entity. The aim of this population-based study was to elucidate the clinico-pathological, demographic characteristics and survival of women with PLFGT.

Materials And Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was accessed and cases of PLFGT diagnosed between 1988 and 2012 were identified. Five-year overall (OS) and cancer-specific (CSS) survival rates were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method. The influence of demographic and clinical parameters on survival was examined with the log-rank test. Factors independently associated with cancer-specific mortality were evaluated with a Cox proportional hazard model.

Results: A total of 697 women with PLFGT were identified with a median age of 54years. The most prevalent histological subtypes were diffuse large B-cell (59.8%) and follicular (11.9%) lymphoma. Tumors were most commonly located in the ovary (37%), cervix (21.4%), and uterus (16.5%). According to the Ann Arbor staging system, 42.6% and 17.9% of cases had stage I and stage II disease, respectively. Cancer-directed surgery (CDS) was performed in the majority of cases (62.8%). Five-year OS and CSS were 70.2% and 75.2% respectively. Localized disease, premenopausal age and follicular histology were associated with superior cancer-specific mortality while CDS did not confer any mortality benefit.

Conclusions: This is the largest cohort of PLFGT presented in literature. While in our study surgical treatment was not associated with improved outcomes, larger multi-institutional studies should address the optimal management of women with PLFGT.