Bendamustine Combined with Donor Lymphocytes Infusion in Hodgkin's Lymphoma Relapsing after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

The management of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) recurring after allogeneic stem cell transplantation is challenging. We retrospectively describe 18 adults treated with bendamustine followed by escalated donor lymphocyte infusion. Hematological toxicity was manageable (39% grade III to IV neutropenia and 28% grade III to IV thrombocytopenia). The overall response rate was 55%, with 3 complete and 7 partial responses. Median overall and progression-free survival were 11 (range, 1 to 52) and 6 (range, 1 to 28) months, respectively. One-year overall survival of responders (complete or partial) was 70% (95% confidence interval, 42% to 98%), although it was only 16% for nonresponders (n = 8). Our data show that bendamustine followed by donor lymphocyte infusion is feasible and can be efficacious as salvage treatment in HL relapsing after an allograft.