Stem cell transplantation for paediatric patients with non-anaplastic peripheral T-cell lymphoma in Japan

Reports of non-anaplastic peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in paediatric patients, especially results of stem cell transplantation (SCT), are relatively rare. We herein report the results of SCT using the Transplant Registry Unified Management Program system of the Japanese Society of Stem Cell Transplantation in paediatric patients with non-anaplastic PTCL. We analysed 26 patients (13 females and 13 males) aged ≤18 years with non-anaplastic PTCL who underwent a total of 28 SCT. Median age at transplantation was 13·5 years (range: 0-18 years). PTCL not otherwise specified was diagnosed in 17 patients; extranodal Natural Killer (NK)/T cell lymphoma, nasal type in nine; and subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma in two. Transplantation was with syngeneic donor in one, related donor in 10; unrelated donor in 10; and auto transplantation in 7. Five-year overall survival rate and event-free survival rate was 62·96% and 55·56%, respectively. Male gender, chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and reduced intensity conditioning were good prognostic factors in all patients. In 20 patients with refractory or relapsed disease, male gender and chronic GVHD were also good prognostic factors. This study is the first report concerning transplantation in children with non-anaplastic PTCL, although the number of patients was small. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.