Graft-versus-lymphoma effect for aggressive T-cell lymphomas in adults: a study by the Société Francaise de Greffe de Moëlle et de Thérapie Cellulaire

J Clin Oncol. 2008 May 10;26(14):2264-71. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2007.14.1366. Epub 2008 Apr 7.

Abstract

Purpose: Aggressive T-cell lymphomas (ATCLs) represent 10% to 15% of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) in adults. ATCLs show a worse prognosis than B-cell lymphomas.

Patients and methods: On behalf of the Société Française de Greffe de Moëlle et de Thérapie Cellulaire, we conducted a retrospective analysis including 77 ATCL patients who underwent allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (alloSCT).

Results: The different diagnosis included anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL; n = 27), peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS; n = 27), angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL; n = 11), hepatosplenic gamma/delta lymphoma (HSL; n = 3), T-cell granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-GLL; n = 1), nasal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (nasal-NK/L; n = 3) or non-nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma (non-nasal-NK/L; n = 2), enteropathy-type T-cell (n = 1), and human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-1 lymphoma (n = 2). Fifty-seven patients received a myeloablative conditioning regimen. Donors were human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched in 70 cases and related in 60 cases. Thirty-one patients were in complete remission (CR) at the time of alloSCT, whereas 26 were in partial response (PR). Five-year toxicity-related mortality (TRM) incidence was 33% (95% CI, 24% to 46%). The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates were 57% (95% CI, 45% to 68%) and 53% (95% CI, 41% to 64%), respectively. In multivariate analysis, chemoresistant disease (stable, refractory, or progressing disease) at the time of alloSCT and the occurrence of severe grade 3 to 4 acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) were the strongest adverse prognostic factors for OS (P = .03 and .03, respectively). Disease status at transplantation significantly influenced the 5-year EFS (P = .003), and an HLA-mismatched donor increased TRM (P = .04).

Conclusion: We conclude that alloSCT is a potentially efficient therapy for NK/T lymphomas and is worth further investigation through prospective clinical trials.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Graft vs Host Disease / immunology
  • Graft vs Tumor Effect / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell / immunology*
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell / therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Transplantation Conditioning
  • Transplantation, Homologous / immunology