Abstract

Questions for stem cell transplant in peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkins lymphomas

Author(s): Jasmine Zain

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) are distinct entities as compared to B-cell lymphomas and carry worst outcomes. Stem cell transplantation has been used to treat these diseases but the exact role for this therapeutic modality is not fully defined for PTCL. Autologous stem cell transplants have been used to consolidate an upfront remission in PTCL with improved disease outcomes though most patients eventually relapse. High-dose therapy and stem cell transplant can also salvage some patients in the relapsed setting if they have chemosensitive disease. Nodal histologies like anaplastic large cell lymphoma, angioimmuoblastic T-cell lymphoma and PTCL-not otherwise specified seem to benefit the most from these approaches. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation has been used to harness the graft versus lymphoma effect to provide long-term disease control in relapsed PTCL and may be curative. Improved targeted T-cell directed therapies have allowed more PTCL patients to reach transplantation thus improving overall outcomes for these diseases.