AUTOLOGOUS BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION FOR LOW-GRADE NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA - THE EUROPEAN BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANT GROUP EXPERIENCE

Background: Influenced by successful results treating intermediate- and high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), high-dose therapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) is increasingly applied in low-grade NHL. However, the published data are limited. Patients and methods: In the European Bone Marrow Transplant Group (EBMT) Registry 92 patients with low-grade NHL treated with ABMT could be identified. Results: The overall progression-free survival was 52% at 5 years with a median follow-up of 19 months. Patients with a complete remission or responsive disease at ABMT had a better outcome. There was no benefit for patients transplanted with either total body irradiation in the conditioning regimen or a purged autograft. Conclusions: Although the median follow-up is short, the data are very promising and warrant a randomized trial analyzing the value of high-dose therapy and purging in low-grade NHL.