Relapse of Hodgkin lymphoma after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation: A current management perspective

Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Ther. 2021 Jun;14(2):95-103. doi: 10.1016/j.hemonc.2020.05.011. Epub 2020 Jun 17.

Abstract

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a highly responsive disease with nearly 70% of patients experiencing cure after front-line chemotherapy. Patients who experience disease relapse receive salvage chemotherapy followed by consolidation with autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT). Nearly 50% of patients relapse after an auto-HCT and constitute a subgroup with poor prognosis. Novel treatments such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody are currently approved for patients relapsing after auto-HCT; however, the duration of remission with these therapies remains limited. Allogeneic HCT is currently the only potentially curative treatment modality for patients relapsing after a prior auto-HCT. Early clinical trials with chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy targeting CD30 are underway for patients with relapsed/refractory HL and are already demonstrating safety and promising efficacy.

Keywords: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation; Hodgkin lymphoma; Overall survival.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / therapeutic use
  • Disease Management
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Hodgkin Disease / diagnosis
  • Hodgkin Disease / immunology
  • Hodgkin Disease / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive
  • Ki-1 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Ki-1 Antigen / immunology
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / diagnosis
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / immunology
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / therapy*
  • Prognosis
  • Transplantation, Autologous

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
  • Ki-1 Antigen