Impact of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation and CAR-T in B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: a two-center experience and review of the literature

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is still a potentially curative option for B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL) in the modern immunotherapy era. The objective of this study was to analyze long-term outcomes of patients with B-NHL who received allo-HSCT. We analyzed overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and graft versus host disease (GVHD) relapse-free survival (GRFS) in 53 patients undergoing allo-HSCT from two institutions. The median follow-up of the study was 72 months (range 29-115 months). The median number of lines of therapy before allo-HSCT was 3 (range 1-6) and twenty-eight patients (53%) had received a previous autologous transplant. The 3-year PFS, OS and GRFS were 55%, 63%, and 55%, respectively. One-year non-relapse mortality was 26%. Karnofsky Performance Scale < 90 was associated with worse OS in multivariable analysis. A non-comparative analysis of a cohort of 44 patients with similar characteristics who received chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy was done, showing a 1-year PFS and OS were 60% and 66%, respectively. Our data shows that allo-HSCT is still a useful option for treating selected patients with R/R B-NHL. Our retrospective analysis and review of the literature demonstrate that allo-HSCT can provide durable remissions in a subset of patients with R/R B-NHL.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for B-cell lymphoma in Taiwan

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is considered for patients with high-risk B-cell lymphoma and relapsed or refractory disease. This study aimed to analyze the long-term follow-up data of patients who underwent allo-HSCT in Taiwan. This was a retrospective observational study using data from the Taiwan Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation database. A total of 105 patients who underwent allo-HSCT because of high-risk, relapsed, or refractory disease between 2010 and 2019 were included. Forty-five percent of the patients previously underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The median follow-up duration was 18.6 months. The probability of 3-year progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) was 34.5% and 37%, respectively. The probability of 1-year non-relapse mortality was 31.4%, and the major cause was infection (75.8%). The multivariable analysis showed that not in remission at the time of transplantation and the absence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were factors associated with inferior OS. The probability of 3-year OS in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who underwent allo-HSCT and allo-HSCT after ASCT was 40.2% and 25.2%, respectively. Allo-HSCT could be a salvage therapeutic option for relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma. Complete remission at the time of allo-HSCT and the presence of GVHD are independent variables for overall survival.

Comparison of Survival Between Autologous and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Meta-Analysis

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) versus autologous SCT (auto-SCT) in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). Medline, CENTRAL, and EMBASE databases through December 31, 2019 were searched. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates. The secondary outcomes include transplant-related mortality (TRM), event-free survival, relapse/or progression, and nonrelapse mortality (NRM). The 18 retrospective studies enrolled 8,058 B-NHL patients (allo-SCT = 1,204; auto-SCT = 6,854). The OS was significantly higher in patients receiving auto-SCT than allo-SCT (pooled odds ratio [OR]: 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29 to 2.22, P < 0.001), but no significant difference was found in PFS (pooled OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.69 to 1.38, P = 0.891). Auto-SCT patients also had lower TRM and NRM (TRM: OR = 0.23, P < 0.001; NRM: OR = 0.16, P < 0.001), but higher relapse or progression rate (OR = 2.37, P < 0.001) than allo-SCT patients. Subgroup analysis performed for different grades and subtypes of B-NHL showed higher OS in auto-SCT patients with high-grade B-NHL and diffused large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). There was, nevertheless, higher PFS in allo-SCT patients with low-grade B-NHL and follicular lymphoma (FL), and lower PFS in allo-SCT patients with DLBCL than their auto-SCT counterparts. In conclusion, the meta-analysis demonstrated that relapsed or refractory B-NHL patients who received auto-SCT have improved OS than those treated with allo-SCT, especially among those with DLBCL, but lower PFS among those with FL. However, the study is limited by a lack of randomized trials, patients’ heterogeneity, and possible selection bias.

Risks of Muscle Atrophy in Patients with Malignant Lymphoma after Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation

OBJECTIVE

Muscle atrophy is associated with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT)-related outcomes in patients with malignant lymphoma (ML). However, the impact of ASCT on muscle mass remains unclear in patients with ML. The aims of this study were to investigate changes in muscle mass and risk profiles for muscle atrophy after ASCT.

METHOD

We enrolled 40 patients with refractory ML (age 58 [20-74] years, female/male 16/24, body mass index (BMI) 21.1 kg/m² [17.1-29.6]). Psoas muscle mass was assessed using the psoas muscle index (PMI) before and after ASCT.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Independent factors associated with a severe decrease rate of change in PMI were evaluated by decision-tree analysis, respectively.

RESULTS

PMI was significantly decreased after ASCT (4.61 vs. 4.55 cm²/m²; P=0.0425). According to the decision-tree analysis, the regimen was selected as the initial split. The rates of change in PMI were -5.57% and -3.97% for patients administered MCEC and LEED, respectively. In patients who were administered LEED, the second branching factor was BMI. In patients with BMI < 20.3 kg/m², the rate of change in PMI was -7.16%. On the other hand, the rate of change in PMI was 4.05% for patients with BMI ≥ 20.3 kg/m².

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that muscle mass decreased after ASCT in patients with ML. Patients who received MCEC and patients with low BMI were at risk for a decrease in muscle mass.