title: High-dose therapy followed by stem cell transplantation in Hodgkin's lymphoma: past and future.
abstract: Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) has been a fascinating challenge for physicians and investigators since its recognition during the 19th century. However, many questions still remain unanswered. One issue regards high-dose therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), which has yet to find its place among several guidelines. Other topics are still controversial with respect to transplantation for HL, including its role for newly diagnosed patients with advanced stage disease, the optimal timing of transplantation, the best conditioning regimen and the role of allogeneic/haploidentical SCT. Moreover, the potential use of localized radiotherapy or immunologic methods to decrease post-transplant recurrence, the role of novel agents such as brentuximab vedotin and their positioning in the treatment algorithm of resistant/relapsed HL patients, either before transplant to boost salvage therapy or after transplant as consolidation/maintenance, are burning questions without an answer. In this review, the authors try to give an answer to some of these dilemmas.
authors.affiliation: Haematology and Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Center, AORMN Marche Nord Hospital, Via Lombroso, 61100 Pesaro, Italy. alessandro.isidori@ospedalimarchenord.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isidori
authors.forename: Pier Paolo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Piccaluga
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Loscocco
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guiducci
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barulli
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Visani
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000639:trends; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000639:trends