Clinical analysis of chronic lung injury in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after CHOP chemotherapy.

We conducted a preliminarily study on the clinical characteristics of chronic lung injury (CLI) in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) after CHOP chemotherapy and observed the effects of this injury on CHOP treatment efficacy. Sixty patients who were diagnosed as NHL and received CHOP chemotherapy in hospital were enrolled for this clinical trial. CLI was assessed by clinical symptoms and computed tomography (CT) scan conducted before and after chemotherapy. The effect of CLI on the efficacy of CHOP chemotherapy in patients with NHL was evaluated by comparing treatment response and recurrence rate to patients with no signs of lung injury. Our CT scans revealed multiple signs of CLI in 35 patients (56.67 %), such as pulmonary diffuse, limited infiltration shadow or ground glass-like changes. Among them, 23 patients (38.33 %) showed bilateral diffuse lung injury and 12 (20.00 %) showed topical lung injury. Most patients suffering from 6 to 12 months delayed recurrence exhibited signs of CLI. The inflammatory response of CLI may increase the risk of disease progression and recurrence. Therefore, early diagnosis and intervention, which play a positive role in the clinical treatment and the long-term efficacy, are critical for patients with NHL.