Second primary malignancies in patients with lymphoma in Denmark after high-dose chemotherapy and autologous haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation: a population- based, retrospective cohort study

Background Second primary malignancies (SPMs) are known complications after chemotherapy, but the risk is not well characterised for patients with lymphoma treated with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). We aimed to investigate the rate of SPMs in this population relative to matched control individuals from the general population. Methods In this retrospective, population-based cohort study, patients aged 18 years or older with an aggressive lymphoma who received high-dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT in Denmark between Jan 1, 2001, and Dec 31, 2017, were included from the Danish Lymphoma Registry and matched (1:5) to control individuals from the general population on birth year and sex via the Danish Civil Registration System. Patients were eligible if they had a registered date of autologous HSCT and patients with primary CNS lymphoma were excluded. Exclusion criteria for both patients and matched control individuals were HIV infection, organ transplantation, or other malignancies before inclusion. The key endpoint was the incidence of SPMs assessed in all study participants. The effect of treatment on SPMs was also investigated in patients who were followed up from first lymphoma diagnosis, with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT as a time-dependent exposure.Findings Of 910 patients with lymphoma assessed, 803 were included (537 [67%] were male and 266 [33%] were female); 4015 matched control individuals were included (2685 [67%] were male and 1330 [33%] were female). Ethnicity data were not available. Median follow-up was 776 years (IQR 477-1173). The SPM rate was higher among patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT than matched control individuals (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 235, 95% CI 193-287, p<00001). Patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT had a higher rate of non-melanoma skin cancer (294, 210-411, p<00001) and of myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukaemia (AML; 4113, 1577-10730, p<00001) than matched control individuals, but there was no significant difference in the rate of solid tumours (121, 089-164, p=024). The cumulative risk of SPMs at 10 years was 20% (95% CI 17-23) in patients compared with 14% (13-15) in matched control individuals. High-dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT was associated with an increased risk of SPMs when analysed as a time-dependent exposure from first lymphoma diagnosis (adjusted HR 158, 95% CI 114-217, p=00054).Interpretation High-dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT was associated with an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer and myelodysplastic syndrome or AML but not with increased risk of solid tumours in patients treated for lymphoma. These findings are relevant for future individualised risk-benefit assessments when choosing between high-dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in this setting.