Objectives: The presence and prognostic relevance of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression have been explored in various neoplasms, but its role in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) is poorly understood. This study aims to reveal the clinicopathologic and prognostic importance of COX-2 expression in NHLs. Methods: Diagnostic tissue samples from 66 NHL patients were immunohistochemically stained to assess COX-2 expression, with a final cohort of 64 patients. Clinicopathological parameters were compared between COX-2 positive and negative groups. Results: From a histological perspective, the indolent group comprised 21 patients (32.8%), while the aggressive group included 43 patients (67.2%). The samples of 26 patients (40.6%) were COX-2 positive and 38 (59.4%) were COX-2 negative. A significant relationship was observed between IHS scores and lymphoma aggressiveness (p=0.044), indicating a connection between COX-2 overexpression and aggressive histology. Response to treatment rate was 89.5% in COX-2 negative group and 73.1% in COX-2 positive group (p=0.088). The overall survival (OS) was 31.81 months for the COX-2 positive group and 34.87 months for the COX-2 negative group, with no statistically significant difference (p=0.581). Conclusion: COX-2 overexpression is significantly associated with aggressive histology in NHLs. However, its impact on OS and treatment response needs further investigation with larger sample size. Keywords: Cyclooxygenase-2, expression, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, prognosis
Corresponding Author: Yavuz Burak Tor