Progression of disease within 6 months: revised early disease progression threshold for ENKTL

The progression of disease (POD) within 24 months is well-established as an early indicator in various lymphomas. However, the aggressive nature of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) necessitates a shorter assessment period. In this study, we examined POD metrics in 170 newly diagnosed ENKTL patients receiving asparaginase-based regimens. Patients were divided into three groups based on relapse/progression timing: aggressive group (POD6), progressive group (POD6-24), and stable group (POD > 24). The median overall survival (OS) in the POD6 group was 16.5 months, while the median OS was not reached in the remaining two groups. Survival outcomes were comparable between the populations with POD6 and POD24. Cox regression analysis identified POD6 as an independent risk factor for OS, regardless of traditional risk stratification. In conclusion, POD6 is a valuable early prognostic marker for ENKTL, serving as a long-term prognosis surrogate for clinical studies.