Front-Line Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT) in Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma: The GEL-TAMO Experience.

From 1985 to 2006, 71 patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma receiving induction doxorubicine-based chemotherapy followed by ASCT as front-line therapy were registered in the GEL-TAMO (Spanish Group for Lymphoma and Autologous Transplantation). Median age was 28 years, 56% of patients were female, 40% presented with an ECOG ≥ 2; B-symptoms at diagnosis were present in 25% of the patients. Most patients presented with high-risk clinical features: bulky tumours defined as ≥10 cms of diameter were observed in most patients (87%), high LDH in 72% and, as previously reported (Rodriguez et al, Ann Oncol, 1994), β2m was elevated only in 7% of the cases. Forty-seven percent of patients presented 2–3 risk factors of the a-IPI. At transplant, thirty-five patients (49%) in first complete remission (CR), 23 (33%) in partial response and 13 patients (18%) failing the first induction therapy were transplanted, respectively. Conditioning regimens were BEAM or BEAC in 90% of the patients. 39 patients received Radiotherapy: 19 prior and 20 after the transplant. Most patients (91%) received peripheral stem cells. Only a patient failed to engraft after the transplant. After the transplant 73% of the patients achieved a CR and 17 patients were refractory. With a median follow-up from transplantation of 46,5 months the OS, PFS and DFS are 68%, 59% and 81% respectively. Progression of the disease was the main cause of death (78%). A patient died of a second neoplasia and 3 patients died of sepsis. There were no deaths related to transplant toxicity. By multivariate survival analysis both status of the disease at transplant (CR vs PR vs failure) and the Tumor score (Rodriguez et al, Ann Oncol,1992 ) were the only independent variables associated with the OS and PFS, respectively. In conclusion our experience, with a prolonged follow-up, shows that patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma presenting at diagnosis with high-risk features have an encouraging survival and PFS with front-line ASCT. However, patients who received the transplant having failed the induction regimen have a very poor prognosis and should be tested with another innovative approach.