MYC and BCL-2 adjusted-International Prognostic Index (A-IPI) is a better predictor of outcome than the standard IPI for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP.

The International Prognostic Index (IPI) has been the basis for determining prognosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) for the past 20 years. The utility of the IPI must be reassessed in the era of immunochemotherapy. Seven risk factors at diagnosis were identified, and a maximum of 7 points were assigned to each patient. Four risk groups were created: low (0-1), low-intermediate (2-3), high-intermediate (4), and high (5-7). Using MYC and BCL-2 clinical data from the Drum Tower Hospital collected during the rituximab era, we performed a retrospective analysis of patients with DLBCL treated with R-CHOP and built an biological markers adjusted IPI with the goal of improving risk stratification.Clinical features from 60 adults with de novo DLBCL diagnosed from 2008-2013 were assessed for their prognostic significance. The IPI remains predictive, but it cannot identify the high-risk subgroup. Compared with the IPI, the MYC and BCL-2 adjusted-IPI (A-IPI) better discriminated patients in the high-risk subgroup (4-year overall survival [OS]: 33.3%) than did the IPI (4 year OS: 48.0%). In the era of R-CHOP treatment, MYC and BCL-2 adjusted-IPI is more powerful than the IPI for helping guide treatment planning and interpretation of clinical trials.