Treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients with comorbidities can be challenging because of possible interactions that may alter the treatment efficacy. We conducted a systematic review to determine the impact of comorbidities on various outcomes, evaluate the current data, and provide recommendations for future research. Twenty-one articles were selected. However, the study populations and design were greatly heterogeneous, and the quality of reporting was generally weak. The majority of studies demonstrated significant impact of comorbidity on survival, reporting poorer survival rates for patients with comorbidities compared to those with no comorbidities. However, the existing evidence is limited and of insufficient quality to establish solid conclusions and to guide treatment decisions. Prospective, well-designed studies are warranted.
Keywords: chemotherapy; comorbidity; diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; geriatric assessment; malignant lymphoma; non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.