Effects of pretransplantation treatment with rituximab on outcomes of autologous stem-cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the effects of preautografting treatment with rituximab (R) on stem-cell mobilization, post-transplantation complications, engraftment, disease-free survival, and overall survival in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).


METHODS
Single-institution retrospective comparative outcome analysis in a cohort of 273 relapsed chemosensitive NHL patients of whom 127 (47%) received R pretransplantation.


RESULTS
R was administered a median of 3 months before autologous transplantation. When compared to the nonrituximab group, R patients were older (56 v 50 years; P < .001), and had delays in post-transplantation platelets recovery (39 v 27 days; P = .001). Pretransplantation R did not affect stem-cell mobilization, post-transplantation early complications, duration of hospitalization, or mortality rates at days 30 and 100. In contrast to patients with low-grade NHL, both disease-free and overall survival rates were significantly better when R was included in the pretransplantation salvage therapy for patients with intermediate-grade NHL.


CONCLUSIONS
In this large, single-center retrospective analysis, pretransplantation treatment with R was associated with improved survival in patients with intermediate-grade NHL, at the price, however, of a delay in platelet engraftment.
Hoerr
Amy L
AL
School of Medicine, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Gao
Feng
F
Hidalgo
Josephine
J
Tiwari
Divya
D
Blum
Kristie A
KA
Mathews
Vikram
V
Adkins
Douglas R
DR
Blum
William
W
Devine
Steven
S
Vij
Ravi
R
Goodnough
Lawrence T
LT
Dipersio
John F
JF
Khoury
Hanna J
HJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab