title: Correlation of pretransplant and early post-transplant response assessment with outcomes after reduced-intensity allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chemotherapy sensitivity, defined simply as at least a partial response to chemotherapy, is an important outcome predictor for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients undergoing reduced-intensity allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT). The authors hypothesized that further differentiation of chemotherapy sensitivity by specific response, complete remission (CR) versus partial remission (PR) versus stable disease (SD) versus progression of disease (PD), correlates with post-transplant outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The impact of pretransplant and early (28 days) post-transplant disease response on transplant outcomes was analyzed in 63 NHL patients treated with reduced-intensity allo-HCT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 3-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) (median potential follow-up after reduced-intensity allo-HCT = 58 months) for all patients was 37% and 47%, respectively. The 3-year EFS based on pretransplant response was: CR = 50%; PR = 66%; SD = 18%; no patient with PD pretransplant reached 3-year follow-up. The 3-year OS based on pretransplant response was: CR = 63%; PR = 69%; SD = 45%. The 3-year EFS based on post-transplant response was: CR = 57%; PR = 32%; SD = 33%; no patient with PD post-transplant reached 3-year follow-up. The 3-year OS based on post-transplant response was: CR = 65%; PR = 43%; SD = 50%. In multivariate analyses, pretransplant response was the best predictor of EFS (P < .0001). Pretransplant response (P < .0001) and age (P = .0035) were jointly associated with OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that NHL patients with pretransplant SD, generally considered inappropriate candidates, may benefit from reduced-intensity allo-HCT, and patients with pretransplant PD should only receive this therapy in clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, 10 Center Drive, CRC/Room 4-3152, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. mbishop@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: Seth M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Odom
authors.forename: Seth M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pollack
authors.forename: Steven Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Pavletic
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sportes
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gress
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Fowler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D057234:Preoperative Period; D015996:Survival Rate; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone