Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Compared with Chemotherapy for Poor-Risk Hodgkin Lymphoma

The aim of this study was to assess the role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in patients with poor-risk Hodgkin's disease (HD) compared to chemotherapy. A donor was identified in 26 patients (14 HLA identical siblings and 10 alternative donors), and 24 received a transplant (Allo group). Twenty patients without a donor received different chemotherapy regimens and radiotherapy (CHEMO group). After a median follow-up of 28 months (range: 1-110), the 2-year overall survival (OS) was 71% in the ALLO group compared to 50% in the CHEMO group (P = .031). In the Allo group, the 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 47%. The 1-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM) in the ALLO group was 8% versus 0% in the CHEMO group. This study, suggests that allogeneic transplantation may prolong the survival in patients with a poor-risk HD.