High-dose therapy and autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation does not increase the risk of second neoplasms for patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma: a comparison of conventional therapy alone versus conventional therapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of second malignancies among patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) compared with patients receiving conventional therapy alone and to identify potential risk factors for their occurrence.


METHODS
We analyzed data on 1,732 consecutive patients with HL treated at the British Columbia Cancer Agency from 1976 to 2001, including 202 patients undergoing AHSCT. The median follow-up duration was 9.8 years for the whole cohort, 9.7 years for those patients treated with conventional therapy, and 7.8 years from AHSCT.


RESULTS
The cumulative incidence of developing any second malignancy 15 years after therapy for HL was 9% (risk ratio = 3.5; P < .001); however, the incidence did not differ between those patients receiving conventional therapy alone compared with those undergoing AHSCT (10% and 8%, respectively; P = .48). In multivariate analysis, the only factor significantly associated with an increased risk of developing any second neoplasm or solid tumor was age > or = 35 years (P < .0001). An increased risk of therapy-induced acute myeloid leukemia and therapy-induced myelodysplastic syndrome was seen for patients aged > or = 35 years (P = .03) and stage III/IV (P = .04).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with HL are at increased risk of developing a second neoplasm. However, those patients undergoing AHSCT do not seem to be at greater risk compared with those patients receiving conventional therapy alone, at least during the first decade after therapy.
Forrest
Donna L
DL
Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program of British Columbia, Canada. dforrest@bccancer.bc.ca
Hogge
Donna E
DE
Nevill
Thomas J
TJ
Nantel
Stephen H
SH
Barnett
Michael J
MJ
Shepherd
John D
JD
Sutherland
Heather J
HJ
Toze
Cynthia L
CL
Smith
Clayton A
CA
Lavoie
Julye C
JC
Song
Kevin W
KW
Voss
Nicholas J
NJ
Gascoyne
Randy D
RD
Connors
Joseph M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous