Allogeneic stem cell transplantation improves survival in relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma patients achieving complete remission after salvage treatment

Allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT) is a current treatment option for patients with refractory/relapsed classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL), including those who have failed an autologous transplantation. We performed a retrospective multicenter analysis of 113 patients (median age 28 years; range 14–56; 54% males) with refractory/relapsed (R/R) CHL who had undergone alloSCT in Argentina. Kaplan–Meier was used to estimate overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Relapse rate (RR) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) were estimated with cumulative incidence analysis. Disease status at transplant was complete remission (CR) in 39%, partial remission (PR) in 44%, and stable/progressed disease (S/PD) in 17% of the patients. Donor type was matched related (MRD) in 60%, unrelated (URD) in 19%, and haploidentical (HID) in 21% of the patients. OS and PFS at 2 years were 43% and 27%, respectively, for all the cohort. In the univariate analysis, patients in CR showed better OS ( p ≤ 0.001) and PFS ( p ≤ 0.001), and lower NRM ( p = 0.04). HID had better PFS ( p = 0.04) and lower RR ( p = 0.02). In the multivariate analysis, CR showed a significant impact on OS and PFS, and HID on PFS. AlloSCT is a feasible procedure in patients with CHL. Those in CR at the time of the transplant had better outcomes. Haploidentical transplantation is associated with better PFS in these patients with poor prognosis.