Biology of blood and marrow transplantation : journal of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
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Biol. Blood Marrow Transplant. · Aug 1997
Clinical TrialAllogeneic transplantation for recurrent or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with poor prognostic features after conditioning with thiotepa, busulfan, and cyclophosphamide: experience in 44 consecutive patients.
We report the outcomes of 44 consecutive patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who participated in prospective studies of allogeneic transplantation after conditioning with thiotepa, busulfan and cyclophosphamide. Within a range of 27-57 years, the median age was 37. Of the 44 patients, 12 (27.2%) had high-grade lymphomas, 27 (61.4%) had intermediate-grade lymphomas, and five (11.3%) had low-grade lymphomas. ⋯ Donor stem cell use was associated with a significantly decreased risk of treatment-related toxicity (p < 0.001), but with an increased risk for GVHD and delayed fungal and viral infections. These infections are linked not only to the use of donor-stem cells, but also to the methylprednisolone in the GVHD prophylaxis regimen. Improvements in the outcome of patients with advanced NHL and undergoing allogeneic transplantation will depend on the development of effective and non-toxic regimens for conditioning, GVHD prophylaxis, and opportunistic infections prophylaxis.