AUTOLOGOUS STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION FOR PRIMARY MEDIASTINAL B CELL LYMPHOMA IN THE RITUXIMAB ERA: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF THE EBMT LYMPHOMA WORKING PARTY

Introduction: The addition of rituximab to induction therapy had improved the outcome of patients with primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma (PMBCL). For those patients who are primary refractory or relapse after having achieved a remission, high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is considered as standard treatment. Only scanty information, however, is available regarding the role of ASCT in patients with relapsed / refractory PMBCL in the rituximab era. Moreover, the impact of pre- and post-transplant irradiation remains uncertain. The objective of the current study was to investigate the results of ASCT for PMBCL in the rituximab era, identify variables predictive for outcome, and assess the role of adjuvant radiotherapy.