The Outcome of Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Elderly Patients with Aggressive Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Introduction: High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) may provide survival benefit in patients with non-hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Retrospective analyses suggest that the benefit of HDT extends to elderly patients with NHL, which is an important finding considering that the median age at diagnosis is 67 years (range: 65-74) for NHL in United States, using 2010-2014 US SEER data. We aimed to define the efficacy and toxicity of AHCT in patients >60 years with NHL.

Patients and Methods: From January 2005 through January 2021, data from 36 patients with aggressive NHL above 60 years of age who were eligible for AHCT according to geriatric assessment (GA) were evaluated. Their diagnoses were as following; 21 diffuse large B cell lymphoma (primary refractory or relapsed disease), 11 mantle cell lymphoma (first complete remission), 2 follicular lymphoma, 1 peripheral T cell lymphoma and 1 anaplastic large cell lymphoma. We compared the toxicity profile and outcome between the research group: patient aged 60 years and above and the control group: patient <60 years.

Results: All of the patients were stage III or IV at diagnosis; ten out of 36 elderly patients had active disease at the time of AHCT. The median follow-up was 20.5 months (range, 1-60 mos). Prior to transplantation majority (85%) of the elderly patients received BEAM protocol as conditioning treatment. Bone marrow stem cell was used in only 1 patient None of the patient had mobilization failure, the median peripheral CD34 level was 5.24x10 ⁶/kg. Forty-eight percent of the patients experienced grade 3-4 mucositis and 77% of the patients had microbiology-documented infection. Sixty-two percent of the patients had diarrhea with median duration of 8 days (range, 5-20 days). Renal toxicity was occurred in 7 (27%) patients while hepatic toxicity in 1(10%) patients. Median time to neutrophil recovery was 10 days (range, 8-18 days) and platelet recovery 11 days (range, 10-32 days). Overall response was obtained from all patients (23% CR). At the time of data collection, 7 patients (19.4%) of patients' ≥ 60 years have deceased. Relapse (n=3) was the main course of death. The probability of 4-year progression free survival (PFS) and estimated overall survival (OS) in elderly patients were 44.4% and 39.4%, respectively.

Conclusion: Based on this single center study, AHCT is safe and efficacious in the treatment of elderly lymphoma patients. We emphasize the need for further research in order to determine the risk-benefit threshold for stem cell transplantation based on age coupled with comorbidity and fragility.