[Salvage therapy in relapsed or refractory malignant lymphoma]

High dose therapy(HDT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation(ASCT) is a therapeutic options in chemotherapy-sensitive aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL) and Hodgkin's disease at relapse. Of the patients with NHL, primary refractory disease should also be treated with such therapy. In patients with indolent lymphoma at relapse, disease free survival after treatment with purged ASCT has been shown to reach a plateau, although the therapy is a matter for debate at present. Anti-CD-20 monoclonal antibody in combination with standard- or high-dose chemotherapy is also quite effective for indolent NHL at relapse. In aggressive NHL with high- or high-intermediate international prognostic index, Burkitt's lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma. ASCT as front-line therapy might improve the clinical outcome.