Outcomes for Hodgkin lymphoma patients after receiving an autologous stem cell transplantation

The authors looked at the effect of age on outcomes for Hodgkin lymphoma patients who have undergone autologous stem cell transplantation. The authors concluded older patients tend to have a worse outcome than younger patients, and have a higher risk of developing a secondary cancer. 

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is largely considered a curable disease. However, some patients do not respond well to initial treatments. These patients are often treated with autologous stem cell transplantation (stem cells from the patient’s own body; auto-SCT). Auto-SCT treatment can have side effects. It is unclear how age affects patient outcomes after receiving auto-SCT. 

This study looked at the effect of age on patient outcomes after receiving auto-SCT. The medical records of 310 patients were reviewed. 280 patients were 55 years old or younger at initial diagnosis. 30 patients were older than 55 at initial diagnosis. All patients received an auto-SCT. The average length of follow-up was 80 months.

The 80-month overall survival rate (time from diagnosis to death from any cause) for the whole study was 65%. The 80-month overall survival rate for patients 55 or younger was 69%. The 80-month overall survival rate for patients older than 55 was 27%. The difference in overall survival was significant. There was no significant difference in the time to disease progression between the two age groups.

There were significantly more secondary cancers in patients older than 55 (30%) compared to patients 55 or younger (8%). 

The study concluded that younger patients have better outcomes after receiving autologous stem cell transplantation, and older patients are more likely to experience a secondary cancer. 

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma later in life and has received an autologous stem cell transplantation, talk to your doctor about monitoring for signs of a secondary cancer.