Early Transplant Best in Chemotherapy-Sensitive MCL

For patients with chemotherapy-sensitive mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), the optimal timing for either reduced-intensity HCT (RIC-HCT) or autologous HCT (auto-HCT) is early in the disease course, according to a multi-center study of 519 MCL patients. In this retrospective study of transplants reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research), five-year survival was comparable in auto-HCT and RIC-HCT for both the early cohort (61% vs. 62%, respectively; p=0.951) and late cohort (44% vs. 31%, respectively; p=0.202). A multivariate analysis identified a significant overall survival benefit for early (RR of death, 0.70; p=0.037) vs. late auto-HCT and a survival benefit beyond the first two years since diagnosis for early RIC-HCT (RR of death, 0.31; p=0.017) vs. late RIC-HCT.

Fenske TS, et al. J Clin Oncol