Outcomes of myeloablative peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for non-complete remission patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T cell lymphomas

There was limited information about the efficacy of myeloablative allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT) in non-complete remission (non-CR) patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCLs). We conducted a retrospective study of 21 consecutive non-CR patients with relapsed/refractory PTCLs who received myeloablative allo-PBSCT between January 2008 and June 2016. The median follow-up of survivors was 46.5 months (range, 14–105 months). The estimated 3-year relapse rate was 24% (95% CI, 9 to 43%). The 3-year non-relapsed mortality rate was 24% (95% CI, 9 to 44%). Overall, the estimated 3-year overall survival was 47% (95% CI, 25 to 66%). And the estimated 3-year progression-free survival was 46% (95% CI, 24 to 66%). Specifically, eight patients failed to achieve a CR at the first evaluation 3 months after allo-PBSCT and received withdraw of immunosuppression. Five patients also received donor lymphocytes infusions. Five (5/8, 62.5%) patients responded subsequently to these interventions (complete = 4, partial = 1). Overall, ten patients were alive at our last follow-ups, and durable CR were achieved in nine patients without further therapy. Five (50%) of these ten alive patients experienced chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Our favorable clinical outcomes suggested myeloablative allo-PBSCT was a valid therapeutic option for non-CR patients with relapsed/refractory PTCLs. The sustained CR after immunotherapeutic intervention and high prevalence of chronic GVHD in alive patients provided evidence of graft versus T cell lymphoma effects.