Outcomes associated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma in the era of novel agents

Background Relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R HL) is a challenging disease with limited treatment options beyond brentuximab vedotin and checkpoint inhibitors. Herein we present the time-trend analysis of R/R HL patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) at our center from 2001-2017.Methods The patients were divided into two distinct treatment cohorts: era1 (2001-2010), and era2 (2011-2017). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM), and cumulative incidence of acute and chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD).Results Among the 51 patients included in the study, 29 were in era1, and 22 were in era2. There was decreased use of myeloablative conditioning in era2 (18% vs. 31%) compared to era1 and 95% of patients in era2 previously received brentuximab Vedotin (BV). Haploidentical donors were seen exclusively in era2 (0% vs. 14%) and more patients received alternative donor transplants (7% vs. 32%) in era2. The 4-year OS (34% vs. 83%, p < 0.001) and 4-year PFS (28% vs. 62%, p = 0.001) were significantly inferior in era1 compared to era2. The incidence of 1-year NRM was lower in era2 compared to era1 (5% vs. 34%, p = 0.06). The cumulative incidence of acute GVHD at day 100 was similar in both eras (p = 0.50), but the incidence of chronic GVHD at 1 year was higher in era2 compared to era1 (55% vs. 21%, p = 0.03).Conclusions Despite the advent of novel therapies, allo-HCT remains an important therapeutic option for patients with R/R HL.