Peripheral T cell and natural killer (NK) T cell lymphomas: a clinicopathological study from a single Australian centre

AIMS: Using pathological and clinical review, to identify all cases diagnosed as peripheral T cell and natural killer (NK) T cell lymphoma over 10 years from one metropolitan Australian hospital. METHODS AND RESULTS: Subtyping was performed using World Health Organization (WHO) 2008 criteria and a comprehensive immunohistochemical panel. Clinical data including follow-up were obtained. There were 47 cases, including 11 peripheral T cell lymphomas, not otherwise specified (NOS), nine extranodal NK T cell lymphomas, nasal type (eight nasal), eight primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphomas, seven angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphomas, three anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphomas, four ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphomas, three enteropathic T cell lymphomas and two subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cell lymphomas. Follow-up of 46 of 47 cases (median time 45 months) revealed that 50% (23 of 46) of patients died. Five-year survival rates were: peripheral T cell lymphoma, NOS 39%; angioimmunoblastic T cell, 43%; nasal NK T 67%; ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma 67% (at 2 years); ALK(+) anaplastic large cell lymphoma 33%; subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cell lymphomas 100%; primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma 86%; and enteropathic T cell lymphoma 33% (at 1 year). One patient with Lennert lymphoma suffered four late cutaneous relapses. CONCLUSIONS: This first Australian clinicopathological series of peripheral T cell and NK T cell lymphoma shows epidemiological and survival data similar to those for Europe and North America.