title: The role of autologous transplantation in Hodgkin lymphoma.
abstract: Between 80% and 90% of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients can be cured with up-to-date combined-modality treatments, but patients with disease refractory to first-line therapy and those who relapse after first-line therapy still have a relatively poor prognosis. Dose intensification with stem cell support has been evaluated both to avoid relapses and to cure patients with refractory or relapsed disease. In this review, we focus on the use of high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in first-line, second-line, and third-line therapy for HL patients. The relevance of salvage therapy before high-dose chemotherapy is discussed, as well as the role of sequential high dose chemotherapy. We also review current evidence for tandem transplantation in high-risk HL patients and ASCT in elderly patients. Finally, we discuss current concepts of ASCT for HL patients and the use of functional imaging and consolidation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, Cologne University Hospital, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Bastian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: von Tresckow
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Engert
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous