Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ABMT) is a standard treatment approach for patients with relapsed Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL). We wish to report long term (>10 year) outcomes for patient's with HL treated with ABMT at our institution. We treated 35 patients over a 30 year time period (1992-2022) Of these 35 patients, there were 19 males and 16 females with a median age of 41 years (range 21-70 years) and a median performance status of 1 (0-1). The preparative regimen was carmustine, etoposide, and melphalan (CEM,1992-2005) and BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (BEAM, 2006 to present). Brentuximab was added was added to BEAM in 2018 as post-transplant consolidation therapy in 13 patients. All patients underwent mobilized peripheral blood stem cell collections with high dose filgrastim and since 2008 filgrastim and plexiform. The required stem cell product was at a minimum 2 million CD34+ cells per kilogram of body weight.

Fifteen patients received CEM and 9/15 (60%) achieved a complete response (CR). Twenty patients received BEAM and 16/20 (80%) achieved a CR, p=0.27 (Fisher's exact test). The median time to hematologic recovery was 12 days (range 8-21). Treatment related complications included: S. Epidermis sepsis (3 patients), E. coli sepsis (3 patients) and esophageal perforation that lead to death (1 patient). With a median follow up of 13 years (range 1-23 years).The actual 10 year disease free survival (DFS) is 52% and overall survival (OS) is 64%. The actuarial DFS and OS at 15 years are 52% and 64% respectively. Six patients are in continuous CR for greater than 20 years. Long term complications at greater than 15 years include: cardiomyopathy (5 patients), breast cancer (1 patient), liposarcoma (1patient).

Patients with relapsed HL can achieve long term curative outcomes when treated with ABMT. The most frequent long term complication is cardiomyopathy.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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2023
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