title: The role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with relapsed or primary refractory childhood B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and mature B-cell leukemia: a retrospective analysis of enrolled cases in Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been excellent treatment results for children with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) and mature B-cell leukemia (B-ALL) in the last few decades. However, a small subset of relapsed or refractory patients, after first-line therapy, still have a poor prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with relapsed or primary refractory B-NHL/B-ALL among 327 newly diagnosed patients between 1996 and 2004 were analyzed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After salvage therapy, 18 patients were chemotherapy-sensitive and 15 patients suffered from progression. Among 18 patients who had a chemotherapy-sensitive disease, 4 of 5 patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) during remission survived without progression, while 3 of 12 patients who did not receive HSCT were alive without disease progression. Fifteen patients never sensitive to salvage therapy died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with relapsed/primary refractory B-NHL/B-ALL have a poor prognosis with current treatment approaches, while the patients sensitive to salvage therapy have a respectable chance to achieve a sustained complete second remission with HSCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic-Bomb Survivors Hospital, Hiroshima 730-8619, Japan. nfujita@hiroshima-med.jrc.or.jp
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsui
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inada
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horibe
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsurusawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015448:Leukemia, B-Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome