Outcomes of second allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2013 May;48(5):666-70. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2012.195. Epub 2012 Oct 22.

Abstract

For patients with ALL who relapse following allo-SCT, only a second SCT provides a realistic chance for long-term disease remission. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 31 patients with relapsed ALL after a prior allo-SCT, who received a second SCT (SCT2) at our center. With a median follow-up of 3 years, 1- and 3-year PFS was 23 and 11% and 1- and 3 year OS rates were 23 and 11%. Twelve patients (39%) were transplanted with active disease, of whom 75% attained a CR. We found a significant relationship between the time to treatment failure following first allograft (SCT1) and PFS following SCT2 (P=0.02, hazard ratio=0.93/month). In summary, a second transplant remains a potential treatment option for achieving response in a highly refractory patient population. While long-term survival is limited, a significant proportion of patients remains disease-free for up to 1 year following SCT2, providing a window of time to administer preventive interventions. Notably, our four long-term survivors received novel therapies with their second transplant underscoring the need for a fundamental change in the methods for SCT2 to improve outcome.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Female
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / drug therapy
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / surgery*
  • Recurrence
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult