Management of Relapsed/Refractory Hodgkin Lymphomas After ASCT in Czech Republic.

This retrospective study evaluates outcomes of patients (pts) treated with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and subsequent therapy for relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) who underwent ASCT in 7 transplant centres in Czech Republic.

194 pts with relapsed/refractory HL treated with ASCT (184 single, 10 tandem) between 01/2000 and 06/2009 were analyzed. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) since the time of ASCT were evaluated according to Kaplan-Meier methods. Outcome of pts relapsing after ASCT was evaluated since the time of relapse. Different salvage modalities after ASCT and their impact on survival were compared with log-rank test.

Median age of pts at time of ASCT was 33 (range 18-66) years. Best response observed after ASCT: complete remission (CR) in 124 pts (64%), partial remission (PR) in 35 pts (18%), stable disease (SD) in 2 pts (1%) and relapse/ progression in 33 pts (17%). Median follow-up was 44 months (m)(range, 3-108). Projected 5-year OS was 71% (median not reached) and PFS 54% (median 86m). Overall 70 pts progressed/relapsed after ASCT and allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) was planned in 38 of them, but carried out only in 25 pts (3 myeloablative and 22 reduced intensity regimens). 37 pts were scheduled for other salvage therapy, 4 pts underwent second ASCT and 4 pts did not receive further treatment. Median survival of 70 pts since relapse after ASCT was 16.9 months. Median survival since relapse after ASCT in pts with or without alloSCT was 31.8 and 12.4 months respectively, but the difference was not statistically significant. Overall 51/194 (26.3%) pts died. 11 of 124 pts died in continuous remission after ASCT due to non-relapse mortality including transplant related mortality in 8pts (6.4%). 40/70 relapsed/refractory pts died: 29 in relapse/progression (20 after salvage treatment, 9 after alloSCT) and 11 pts due to non-relapse mortality (5 after salvage treatment and 6 after alloSCT).

Efficacy of ASCT was confirmed in 113/194 surviving pts (58%) in continuous remission. Median survival of relapsed pts following ASCT was 16.9 m. AlloSCT seems to improve survival in relapsed/refractory patients, although the difference is not statistically significant. New drugs should be offered to patients failing transplantation treatment.

Trneny:GSK: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Fresenius: Consultancy; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.