Outpatient reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell transplantation for patients with refractory or relapsed lymphomas compared with autologous stem cell transplantation using a simplified method

The effectiveness of reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo- RIC) compared with high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) in Hodgkin's disease (HD) and in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients remains poorly defined. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the usefulness of auto-SCT or allo-SCT, employing a RIC regimen in refractory or relapsed NHL or HD patients. We analyzed the outcome of 71 patients with advanced disease. Twenty-three NHL and 14 HD patients received an allo-RIC using fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and low-dose busulfan as the conditioning regimen. Sixteen NHL and 18 HD patients received auto-SCT using cyclophosphamide and etoposide as conditioning regimen. All hematopoietic stem cells products were not cryopreserved and the majority of grafts were done on an outpatient basis, including conditioning and post-stem cell infusion care (auto-SCT, 62% and allo-RIC procedure, 91%). The median OS was 45.5 months for the allo-RIC recipients and 53.3 months for auto-SCT recipients. Acute/chronic GVHD incidence in NHL and HL groups was 38%/31% and 14%/7%, respectively. We found no significant difference in overall survival between allo-RIC group and auto-SCT group for NHL patients (P = 0.43) but better OS was observed for auto-SCT group than for allo-SCT group in HL patients (P < 0.001). The relapse rate was higher in autografted patients, both in NHL and HD. Both auto-SCT and allo-RIC appear to be valid treatments for poor-risk patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma who could not otherwise be cured with conventional salvage regimens.