Total Body Irradiation Is Safe and Similarly Effective as Chemotherapy-Only Conditioning in Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2018 Feb;24(2):282-287. doi: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2017.10.029. Epub 2017 Oct 20.

Abstract

Autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) consolidation has become a standard approach for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), yet there is little consensus on the role of total body irradiation (TBI) as part of high-dose transplantation conditioning. We analyzed 75 consecutive patients with MCL who underwent ASCT at our institution between 2001 and 2011 with either TBI-based (n = 43) or carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan (BEAM; n = 32) high-dose conditioning. Most patients (97%) had chemosensitive disease and underwent transplantation in first remission (89%). On univariate analysis, TBI conditioning was associated with a trend toward improved PFS (hazard ratio [HR], .53; 95% confidence interval [CI], .28-1.00; P = .052) and similar OS (HR, .59; 95% CI, .26-1.35; P = .21), with a median follow-up of 6.3 years in the TBI group and 6.6 years in the BEAM group. The 5-year PFS was 66% in the TBI group versus 52% in the BEAM group; OS was 82% versus 68%, respectively. However, on multivariate analysis, TBI-based conditioning was not significantly associated with PFS (HR, .57; 95% CI .24-1.34; P = .20), after controlling for age, disease status at ASCT, and receipt of post-transplantation rituximab maintenance. Likewise, early toxicity, nonrelapse mortality, and secondary malignancies were similar in the 2 groups. Our data suggest that both TBI and BEAM-based conditioning regimens remain viable conditioning options for patients with MCL undergoing ASCT.

Keywords: Autologous transplantation; BEAM; Mantle cell lymphoma; Total body irradiation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Carmustine / therapeutic use
  • Cytarabine / therapeutic use
  • Etoposide / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell / mortality
  • Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell / therapy*
  • Male
  • Melphalan / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Analysis
  • Transplantation Conditioning / methods*
  • Transplantation Conditioning / mortality
  • Transplantation Conditioning / standards
  • Transplantation, Autologous / methods
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Whole-Body Irradiation / methods*
  • Whole-Body Irradiation / mortality

Substances

  • Cytarabine
  • Etoposide
  • Melphalan
  • Carmustine

Supplementary concepts

  • BEAM regimen