Hematopoietic SCT for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: a review

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma is a T-cell malignancy caused by the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1. The aggressive forms of the disease carry a poor prognosis with standard therapies. The role of high-dose treatment with blood and marrow transplantation has, therefore, been examined mainly by Japanese groups in the form of retrospective studies. In this study, we review the literature, discuss some of the challenges facing successful transplantation approaches and stress the need for more innovative studies including in the Western hemisphere.