title: Durability of remission after ABMT for NHL: the importance of the 2-year evaluation point.
abstract: Few series describing the results of autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma report mature follow-up. We retrospectively reviewed 110 adults with NHL treated with ABMT from 1988 to 1993. Overall survival and relapse-free survival were 50% and 35%, respectively. Estimated median relapse-free survival was 16 months. There was no statistically significant difference in relapse-free or overall survival by low, intermediate, and high-grade histologies, as defined by the International Working Formulation. The most powerful negative prognostic variable was an elevated LDH at the time of transplant (relapse-free survival 17% vs 42% for those with a normal LDH). Forty-seven patients were in complete remission 2 years after transplant. Extended follow-up revealed that 100% of patients with high-grade histologies remained in complete remission, whereas patients with intermediate-grade and low-grade histologies remained at risk of relapse with longer follow-up. Of 22 patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma (LCL) or immunoblastic (IBL) histologies, eight of eight with IBL remain in continued remission, while four of 14 with LCL relapsed 24-48 months after ABMT. We conclude that patients with high-grade histologic subtypes of NHL who are in complete remission 2 years after ABMT are likely to be cured. However, patients with intermediate and low-grade histologic subtypes are at continued risk of relapse and require appropriate clinical surveillance for at least 48 months after ABMT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bolwell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goormastic
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andresen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012306:Risk; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning