Predictive value of early 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography in chemosensitive relapsed lymphoma

18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) might be a better tool than computerized tomography (CT) in predicting long-term treatment outcome in patients with relapsed chemosensitive lymphoma who are candidates for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). We studied patients with recurrent or persistent aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD), who were treated with three courses of second-line induction chemotherapy [DHAP-VIM (dexamethasone, cytarabine, cisplatin followed by etoposide, iphosphamide and methotrexate)-DHAP], followed by myeloablative therapy and ASCT if chemosensitive. FDG-PET was performed in parallel to conventional diagnostic methods before starting, and after two courses of, second-line therapy. Of 68 relapsed lymphoma patients, 46 chemosensitive patients (33 NHL and 13 HD) were included, of whom 39 were transplanted. After DHAP-VIM, the second PET scan was normalized in 15/46 patients; progression-free survival at 2 years was 62% for PET-negative patients versus 32% for PET-positive patients (P = 0.048). The relative risk for progressive disease in patients with < 90% intensity reduction was 2.85 (95% confidence interval 1.15-7.05, P = 0.018). Early FDG-PET may help to predict the long-term treatment outcome of ASCT in chemosensitive patients with relapsed lymphoma and identify those patients who need extra or alternative treatment. Disappearance or > 90% reduction of intensity of abnormal FDG uptake after two courses of reinduction therapy was correlated with a favourable outcome.     

Early post-transplantation positron emission tomography in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma is an independent prognostic factor with an impact on overall survival

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic role of pre- and/or early post-autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) ¹⁸F-flourodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. Forty-three consecutive patients were enrolled in this study. FDG-PET/CT was performed following salvage chemotherapy within 6 weeks of undergoing ASCT and at the first month after ASCT. FDG-PET positivity was found in 26 patients before ASCT and in 13 patients after ASCT. The patients who had negative PET scan before or after ASCT had significantly better outcomes in terms of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Pre- and post-ASCT FDG-PET positivity was found to be independently associated with PFS while post-ASCT FDG-PET was an independent factor with an impact on OS in multivariate analysis. ¹⁸F-flourodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging may be useful in predicting prognosis after ASCT. Furthermore, effective treatment options including allogeneic stem cell transplantation might be considered in patients with positive FDG-PET scan after salvage chemotherapy and ASCT.     

Early FDG-PET assessment in combination with clinical risk scores determines prognosis in recurring lymphoma

This study was set up to demonstrate whether prognostic classification based on the secondary age-adjusted International Prognostic Index (sAA-IPI) for recurring aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or the prognostic score for recurring Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) can be improved by including the midtreatment results of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxy-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). Clinical data on patients with recurring lymphoma who were treated with second-line chemotherapy (DHAP-VIM-DHAP) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) were collected and combined with the results of FDG-PET performed before and after 2 cycles of reinduction chemotherapy. PET responses after 2 courses were scored as complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), or no response (NR). A multivariate analysis was performed to design a predictive model. The number of patients (101 of 117) included those (78 patients with aggressive NHL and 23 patients with HL) that could be analyzed according to protocol. Of these, 80 patients were chemosensitive and 77 received transplants. Both secondary clinical risk score (P<.001) and FDG-PET response (P<.001) were independent predictive factors for the total evaluable group of patients with lymphoma and for patients with NHL alone. The combined use of the clinical risk score and FDG-PET response after 2 chemotherapy courses identified at least 4 categories of patients with a failure-free survival varying between 5% to 100% after transplantation (P<.001). These data indicate that the secondary clinical risk score in conjunction with FDG-PET response provides a more accurate prognostic instrument for the outcome of second-line treatment at least in patients with recurring NHL.     

Prognostic value of FDG-PET scan imaging in lymphoma patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 50 lymphoma patients (Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) who had an 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scan after at least two cycles of salvage chemotherapy and before autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) at our institution. The patients were categorized into FDG-PET negative (N = 32) and positive (N = 18) groups. The median follow-up after ASCT was 19 months (range: 3-59). In the FDG-PET-negative group, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 19 months (range: 2-59) with 15 (54%) patients without progression at 12 months after ASCT. The median overall survival (OS) for this group was not reached. In the FDG-PET-positive group, the median PFS was 5 months (range: 1-19) with only one (7%) patient without progression at 12 months after ASCT. The median OS was 19 months (range: 1-34). In the FDG-PET-negative group, chemotherapy-resistant patients by CT-based criteria had a comparable outcome to those with chemotherapy-sensitive disease. A positive FDG-PET scan after salvage chemotherapy and prior ASCT indicates an extremely poor chance of durable response after ASCT.     

Normalization of pre-ASCT, FDG-PET imaging with second-line, non-cross-resistant, chemotherapy programs improves event-free survival in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma

We previously reported that remission duration < 1 year, extranodal disease, and B symptoms before salvage chemotherapy (SLT) can stratify relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients into favorable and unfavorable cohorts. In addition, pre-autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) (18)FDG-PET response to SLT predicts outcome. This phase 2 study uses both pre-SLT prognostic factors and post-SLT FDG-PET response in a risk-adapted approach to improve PFS after high-dose radio-chemotherapy (HDT) and ASCT. The first SLT uses 2 cycles of ICE in a standard or augmented dose (ICE/aICE), followed by restaging FDG-PET scan. Patients with a negative scan received a transplant. If the FDG-PET scan remained positive, patients received 4 biweekly doses of gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and liposomal doxorubicin. Patients without evidence of disease progression proceeded to HDT/ASCT; those with progressive disease were study failures. At a median follow-up of 51 months, EFS analyzed by intent to treat as well as for transplanted patients is 70% and 79%, respectively. Patients transplanted with negative FDG-PET, pre-HDT/ASCT after 1 or 2 SLT programs, had an EFS of > 80%, versus 28.6% for patients with a positive scan (P < .001). This prospective study provides evidence that the goal of SLT in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma should be a negative FDG-PET scan before HDT/ASCT.     

Autologous stem cell transplantation for HIV-associated lymphoma.

Is peripheral stem cell mobilization followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) feasible in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- associated lymphoma (HIV-L)? Studies have demonstrated that, in the HIV- negative (HIV(-)) setting, ASCT may improve lymphoma-free survival in high-risk non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or relapsed Hodgkin disease (HD) and NHL. Given the poor prognosis of HIV-L with conventional chemotherapy, this dose-intensive approach was explored. Nine patients with HIV-HD or NHL mobilized a median of 10.6 x 10(6) CD34(+) cells/kg and engrafted after ASCT. CD4 counts recovered to pretransplantation levels and HIV viral loads were controlled in patients compliant with antiretroviral therapy. Seven of 9 patients remain in remission from their lymphoma at a median of 19 months after transplantation. Thus, patients with HIV-L on antiretroviral therapy can engraft following ASCT. Prolonged lymphoma remissions, without significant compromise of immune function, can be seen, suggesting that ASCT can be used in selected patients with HIV-L.     

Feasibility and Efficacy of High-Dose Melphalan, Cyclophosphamide, Etoposide, and Dexamethasone (LEED) Chemotherapy with or without Rituximab Followed by Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Aggressive and Relapsed Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for patients with newly diagnosed aggressive and relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), we administered LEED, a drug-only HDCT regimen consisting of melphalan, cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and dexamethasone, followed by ASCT in this single-institution trial. Furthermore, rituximab was added to the LEED regimen (R-LEED) for patients with CD20+ NHL. Twenty-six patients in the LEED group and 24 patients in the R-LEED group were enrolled and assessed for this study. All patients achieved complete engraftment after ASCT. As for the nonhematologic toxicities, infection toxicities of grades 3 and 4 were observed in 9 patients (34.6%) of the LEED group and 12 patients (50%) of the R-LEED group. Four patients (15.4%) in the LEED group and 5 (20.8%) in the R-LEED group developed grade 3 toxicity in the elevation of aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase levels. Other grade 4 toxicities were rare in both groups. With a median follow-up time from the date of ASCT of 30 months in the LEED group and 18 months in the R-LEED group, the overall survival rates were 66.5% and 78.2%, respectively. These results suggested that LEED, as well as R-LEED, was a safe and feasible high-dose regimen for aggressive and relapsed NHL.     

High-dose chemoradiotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation for patients with primary refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma: an intention-to-treat analysis

High-dose chemoradiotherapy (HDT) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is the treatment of choice for patients with relapsed aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). However, its role in the treatment of patients with primary refractory disease is not well defined. The outcomes of 85 patients with primary refractory aggressive NHL who underwent second-line chemotherapy with ICE with the intent of administering HDT/ASCT to those patients with chemosensitive disease were reviewed. Patients were retrospectively classified as induction partial responders (IPR) if they attained a partial response to doxorubicin-based front-line therapy or as induction failures (IF) if they had less than partial response. Forty-three patients (50.6%) had ICE-chemosensitive disease; there was no difference in the response rate between the IPR and the IF groups. Intention-to-treat analysis revealed that 25% of the patients were alive and 21.9% were event-free at a median follow-up of 35 months. Among 42 patients who underwent transplantation, the 3-year overall and event-free survival rates were 52.5% and 44.2%, respectively, similar to the outcomes for patients with chemosensitive relapsed disease. No differences were observed between the IPR and IF groups, and there were no transplantation-related deaths. More than one extranodal site of disease and a second-line age-adjusted International Prognostic Index of 3 or 4 before ICE chemotherapy were predictive of poor survival. These results suggest that patients with primary refractory aggressive NHL should receive second-line chemotherapy, with the intent of administering HDT/ASCT to those with chemosensitive disease. Newer therapies are needed to improve the outcomes of patients with poor-risk primary refractory disease.     

Treatment outcome of relapsed/refractory primary central nervous system diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a single-center experience of autologous stem cell transplantation

No salvage treatment strategy has been established for relapsed or refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). We compared treatment outcomes of patients who underwent salvage chemotherapy with or without autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). We retrospectively analyzed PCNSL patients who were histologically diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. All patients relapsed after high-dose methotrexate (MTX)-based chemotherapy, or were refractory to high-dose MTX. Patients were treated with salvage chemotherapy, such as ICE/D (ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide, and dexamethasone) or high-dose MTX. High-dose chemotherapy containing thiotepa and busulfan followed by ASCT was performed if patients were eligible for ASCT after salvage treatment. Forty-five patients (35 relapsed and 10 refractory) received ICE/D or high-dose MTX. Despite the important difference that ICE/D was used predominantly for early relapsed or refractory patients, the two salvage treatments produced similar overall response rates [84.4 % (38/45) for ICE/D and 81.3 % (13/16) for high-dose MTX re-treatment]. Eighteen patients underwent ASCT, whereas 27 patients received salvage chemotherapy alone. The median progression-free survival of patients who underwent ASCT (19.5 months) was significantly better than that of patients who did not receive ASCT (6.7 months, P = 0.023). Multivariate analysis showed that refractoriness to initial treatment and no ASCT were significantly associated with poor survival outcome. Our study suggested that the combination of ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide, and dexamethasone may represent a feasible salvage treatment option for relapsed or refractory PCNSL, and that high-dose chemotherapy containing thiotepa and busulfan followed by ASCT may be effective for patients with a favorable toxicity profile.     

Guideline for the laboratory diagnosis of functional iron deficiency

Patients with aggressive non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who relapse after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) have a poor prognosis. Additional therapy is often poorly tolerated, and new treatment modalities are needed. This efficacy and safety study was a retrospective analysis of two phase II trials (NHL‐002 and NHL‐003) that studied single‐agent lenalidomide in patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive NHL with prior (n = 87) compared with no prior ASCT (n = 179). The overall response rate in the ASCT group was 39% [14% complete response (CR)], including 29% in patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma, 63% in mantle cell lymphoma, and 60% in transformed lymphoma. The timing of transplant relative to receiving lenalidomide had no effect on outcomes. Median progression‐free survival for the ASCT group was 3·7 months (16·9 months for patients in CR; 7·3 months for partial responders) at a median 12·5‐month follow‐up. Median response duration was 7·9 months. Regardless of prior ASCT, lenalidomide monotherapy was efficacious in heavily pretreated patients with aggressive, relapsed/refractory NHL, with a safety profile that was consistent with prior studies of single‐agent lenalidomide.     

FDG-PET/CT predicts outcome in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease

Early therapy response assessment with metabolic imaging is potentially useful to determine prognosis in aggressive lymphoma and, thus, can guide first-line therapy. Forty-eight patients with aggressive lymphoma [24 Hodgkin’s disease (HD); 24 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)] underwent fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) before chemotherapy (PET1) and at mid-treatment (PET2). Therapeutic response was evaluated using conventional methods at mid-treatment. PET2 results were related to event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) using Kaplan–Meier analyses. PET1 was positive in all patients. PET2 was negative in 38 patients (18 NHL-20 HD) and positive in 10 (6 NHL-4 HD). Of the PET-negative patients, 61 and 65% achieved complete remission, and only 50 and 25% of PET-positive patients, respectively, for NHL and HD, achieved complete remission. Significant associations were found between PET2 and EFS (p=0.0006) and OS (p=0.04) for NHL, and EFS (p<0.0001) for HD (but not for OS, because no HD patient died). FDG-PET at mid-treatment can predict the outcome of patients with aggressive lymphoma and should be a useful tool to modify an ineffective therapy.     

Autologous stem cell transplantation in first-line treatment of high-risk aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

A single center, retrospective analysis evaluating the outcome of patients with poor-risk aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) treated with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) as a part of firstline therapy. Forty-seven patients younger than 65 years with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) or alk-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) underwent ASCT between July 1997 and November 2005. Patients with DLBCL and alk-negative ALCL had 2 or 3 age-adjusted International Prognostic Index risk factors. All patients were transplanted after MACOP-B induction therapy followed by 2 courses of DHAP and myeloablative chemotherapy BEM or CBV. The complete response rate to the high-dose therapy was 79% with an estimated 5-year progression-free survival of 66%. At a median follow-up of 35 months (range, 16 to 112 months) the estimated overall survival at five years was 59%. There were 4 treatment-related deaths. Twenty-nine of 47 patients remain in complete remission. Our results confirm the efficacy of high-dose therapy with ASCT during first-line treatment of patients with poor-prognosis aggressive lymphoma, with substantial number of patients cured by using this treatment approach.     

Pre-transplant positron emission tomography (PET) using fluorine-18-fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) predicts outcome in patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

We investigated the predictive value of sequential FDG PET before and after high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in 24 patients suffering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). FDG PET was performed at baseline, after three cycles of induction therapy, before and after HDT with ASCT. Response assessment from sequential PET scans using standardized uptake values (SUV) was available in 22 patients at the time of transplantation. Partial metabolic response (PMR) was defined as a >25% decrease of SUV between successive PET scans [corrected]. Six of seven patients who did not achieve a PMR after complete induction therapy developed lymphoma progression, while 10 of 15 patients with complete metabolic response (CMR) or PMR remained in continuous remission. Four of seven patients with less than PMR after induction therapy died vs two of 15 patients with CMR/PMR. Median progression-free and overall survival of patients with less than PMR after HDT and ASCT was 9 and 29 months, respectively. In contrast, neither conventional re-staging nor the International Prognostic Index were predictive. These data suggest that sequential quantitative PET imaging does enlarge the concept of chemosensitivity used to select patients with high-risk NHL for HDT and ASCT or to route them to alternative treatments.     

Autologous stem cell transplantation with selected CD34+ cells and unmanipulated peripheral blood stem cells in patients with relapsed and refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma: a single centre experience

With the aim to evaluate the long term outcome after high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDCT+ASCT) in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) we performed a retrospective analysis of patients transplanted at our centre. Between January 1993 and December 2005, 126 consecutive patients with relapsed or refractory HL in the age of 16 to 65 years underwent HDCT+ASCT at our centre and were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. Patients were autografted with either CD34+ positively selected or unmanipulated periferal blood stem cells (PBSC). With a median follow up of 69 months (3-162 months), the actuarial 5-y PFS and OS for all patients after HDCT+ASCT were 59% and 72%, respectively. In patients transplanted from 1996 the actuarial 5-y PFS and OS for CD34+ selected group were 64% and 79% and for unmanipulated PBSC group 63% and 66%, respectively. A total of 42/126 (33%) patients died. Treatment related mortality (TRM) was 3% (4 patients). In univariate analysis, chemosensitive disease and increased LDH were the strongest prognostic factors for PFS and OS. Our results confirm the efficacy of HDCT+ASCT in relapsed or refractory HL with acceptable toxicity. The use of CD34+ positively selected stem cells for autografting is feasible, safe and effective procedure. Key words: Hodgkin's lymphoma, high-dose chemotherapy, autologus transplantation, CD34+ selected stem cells.     

Predictive value of early 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) during salvage chemotherapy in relapsing/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) treated with high-dose chemotherapy

This retrospective study evaluated whether early 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) after two cycles of salvage chemotherapy (PET2) could predict survival after high-dose chemotherapy (HDC). Twenty-four Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients were included. PET2 was negative in 58% and positive in 42% of patients. Ninety per cent of patients (9/10) with positive PET2 relapsed after HDC while all but one patient with negative PET2 maintained a complete remission. The 2-year progression-free survival was 93% vs. 10% for patients with negative and positive PET2, respectively ( P  < 0.001). This study shows that interim PET can predict the outcome after high-dose chemotherapy in HL patients.     

Durable remissions with autologous stem cell transplantation for high-risk HIV-associated lymphomas

The treatment of HIV-associated lymphoma has changed since the widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy. HIV-infected individuals can tolerate more intensive chemotherapy, as they have better hematologic reserves and fewer infections. This has led to higher response rates in patients with HIV-associated Hodgkin disease (HD) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) treated with chemotherapy in conjunction with antiretroviral therapy. However, for patients with refractory or relapsed disease, salvage chemotherapy still offers little chance of long-term survival. In the non-HIV setting, patients with relapsed Hodgkin disease (HD) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have a better chance of long-term remission with high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue (ASCT) compared with conventional salvage chemotherapy. In a prior report we demonstrated that this approach is well tolerated in patients with underlying immunodeficiency from HIV infection. Furthermore, similar engraftment to the non-HIV setting and low infectious risks have been observed. Herein, we expand upon this early experience with the largest single institution series of 20 patients. With long-term follow-up we demonstrate that ASCT can lead to an 85% progression-free survival, which suggests that this approach may be potentially curative in select patients with relapsed HIV-associated HD or NHL.     

A phase II trial evaluating the efficacy of high-dose Radioiodinated Tositumomab (Anti-CD20) antibody,etoposide and cyclophosphamide followed by autologous transplantation,for high-risk relapsed or refractory non-hodgkin lymphoma

Radiation is the most effective treatment for localized lymphoma, but treatment of multifocal disease is limited by toxicity. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) delivers tumoricidal radiation to multifocal sites, further augmenting response by dose-escalation. This phase II trial evaluated high-dose RIT and chemotherapy prior to autologous stem-cell transplant (ASCT) for high-risk, relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The primary endpoint was progression free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), toxicity, and tolerability. Patients age < 60 years with R/R NHL expressing CD20 were eligible. Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients could proceed to transplant in first remission. Patients received I-131-tositumomab delivered at ≤25Gy to critical normal organs, followed by etoposide, cyclophosphamide and ASCT. A group of 107 patients were treated including aggressive lymphoma (N = 29), indolent lymphoma (N = 45), and MCL (N = 33). After a median follow-up of 10.1 years, the 10-year PFS for the aggressive, indolent, and MCL groups were 62%, 64%, 43% respectively. The 10-year OS for the aggressive, indolent, and MCL groups were 61%, 71%, 48% respectively. Toxicities were similar to standard conditioning regimens and non-relapse mortality at 100 days was 2.8%. Late myeloid malignancies were seen in 6% of patients. High-dose I-131-tositumomab, etoposide and cyclophosphamide followed by ASCT appeared feasible, safe, and effective in treating NHL, with estimated PFS at 10-years of 43%-64%. In light of novel cellular therapies for R/R NHL, high-dose RIT-containing regimens yield comparable efficacy and safety and could be prospectively compared.     

LACE-conditioned autologous stem cell transplantation for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma: treatment outcome and risk factor analysis in 67 patients from a single centre

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a recognized treatment option for patients with relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma. We have analysed 67 patients who underwent ASCT after LACE (lomustine (CCNU), cytarabine (Ara-C), cyclophosphamide, etoposide) conditioning for relapsed (n=61) or primary refractory (n=6) Hodgkin's lymphoma. The 100-day treatment-related mortality was 3%. With a median follow-up of 67 months (range 3.3-161.0) the probabilities of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) at 5 years were 68 and 64%, respectively. Probabilities for OS and PFS at 5 years for patients with chemosensitive relapse (n=40) were 81 and 78% versus 50 and 35%, respectively, for patients (n=27) with chemoresistant relapse (P=0.012 for OS, P=0.002 for PFS). In multivariate analysis mixed cellularity classical or lymphocyte-depleted classical histology subtype and haemoglobin level of 10 g/dl or less at the time of ASCT were identified as risk factors for worse OS, whereas stage III or IV disease at diagnosis and disease status at ASCT other than complete or partial remission predicted inferior PFS. LACE followed by ASCT is an effective treatment for the majority of patients with chemosensitive relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma and a proportion of chemorefractory patients also benefit.     

High-dose chemotherapy and auto-SCT in elderly patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma

Our purpose was to assess efficacy and toxicity of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and ASCT in patients with relapsed and refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) aged 60 years and older and compare the results with a group of younger HL patients treated in a similar manner. We identified 15 consecutive patients, with HL aged 60 years and older who underwent HDCT (etoposide 60?mg/kg+ melphalan 160?mg/m(2)) and ASCT at our institution from May 2001 to March 2008. The results were compared with a cohort of 157 younger HL patients treated in a similar manner from January 1999 to December 2006. After a median follow-up of 2.5 years, PFS at 3 years after ASCT was 73% (95% confidence interval (CI) 37-90) for the older group and 56% (95% CI 46-64) for the younger group (P=0.45); OS after ASCT was 88% (95% CI 39-98) for the older group and 84% (95% CI 75-90) for the younger group (P=0.80). No transplant-related deaths were seen. Our study suggests that ASCT is feasible for selected elderly patients with HL, giving similar results to younger patients in terms of survival and toxicity.     

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for older patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

To evaluate autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in older patients with intermediate grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), the Mayo Clinic Rochester BMT database was reviewed for all patients 60 years of age and older who received ASCT for NHL between September 1995 and February 2003. Factors evaluated included treatment-related mortality (TRM), event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). Ninety-three patients were identified, including twenty-four (26%) over the age of 70 years. Treatment-related mortality (5.4%) was not significantly different when compared to a younger cohort (2.2%). At a median follow-up of 14 months (0.6-87.6 months), the estimated median survival is 25 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 12-38) in the older group compared to 56 months (95% CI 37-75) (P=0.037) in the younger group. The estimated 4-year EFS was 38% for the older group compared to 42% in the younger cohort (P=0.1). By multivariate analysis, the only factor found to influence survival in the older group was age-adjusted International Prognostic Index at relapse, 0-1 better than 2-3 (P=0.03). Autologous stem-cell transplant can be safely performed in patients 60 years or older with chemotherapy sensitive relapsed or first partial remission NHL. The outcome may not be different from that of younger patients in terms of TRM and EFS.