Analysis of the efficacy and prognostic factors of gemcitabine combined with oxaliplatin in non‑Hodgkin lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a heterogeneous malignancy accounting for ~90% of lymphomas, often requires chemotherapy as the primary treatment for patients unsuitable for stem cell transplantation. This study aimed to analyze the therapeutic effects of gemcitabine combined with oxaliplatin on NHL and examine the prognostic factors affecting patients with NHL. A total of 106 patients with NHL were retrospectively selected and divided into a control group (CG; n=50 received oxaliplatin treatment) and an observation group (OG; n=56 received oxaliplatin combined with gemcitabine treatment) based on the differences in treatment measures. Clinical data, therapeutic efficacy, adverse reactions, improvement in B symptoms, post-treatment levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and TGF-β1 and post-treatment Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) scores were collected from patients in both groups. Prognostic factors for NHL were analyzed based on the results of a 2-year follow-up. In the OG, the complete remission rate (CRR) was 73.21% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 91.07%, whereas in the CG, the CRR was 52.00% and the DCR was 80.00%, demonstrating a significant intergroup difference (P<0.05). The OG had an overall survival (OS) of 13.6 months and a progression-free survival (PFS) of 8.9 months, and the CG had an OS of 11.3 months and a PFS of 6.1 months. After chemotherapy, the serum LDH and TGF-β1 levels in the OG were significantly lower compared with those in the CG, and the KPS scores were higher compared with those in the CG (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the Ann Arbor stage and the International Prognostic Index score for lymphoma were independent prognostic risk factors for patients with NHL (both P<0.05). The combination therapy of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin was demonstrated to be safe for patients with NHL. This combination treatment demonstrated notable overall efficacy and improved functional improvement compared with oxaliplatin monotherapy.