The place of transplantation in mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an uncommon non-Hodgkin lymphoma with a heterogeneous natural history. Significant strides have been made in the management of MCL. Clinical follow-up exceeds a decade with long-term remission durations in some patients. Modern induction strategies employ rituximab; a cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP)-like backbone; and cytarabine (in alternating or sequential regimens). However, bendamustine/rituximab therapy is challenging these induction strategies. The role of transplant is in clinical evolution. Up-front high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplant remains an attractive option for those with chemosensitive disease regardless of the induction regimen chosen, whereas this approach in the relapsed or refractory setting has not yielded long-term disease-free intervals. Reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell transplant remains a viable option in those with relapsed or refractory MCL.