Clinical Outcomes after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Adult Lymphoblastic Lymphoma

Lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) is a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. There are limited reports on allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) in patients with LBL. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes of 15 adult patients with LBL who received allo-SCT at our institution. The median age at allo-SCT was 29 years (range, 18-42). Disease status at the time of transplantation was complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), and advanced disease in 4, 4, and 7 patients, respectively. The median follow-up duration of survivors was 25 months (range, 6-106). The probabilities of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) at 2 years after allo-SCT were 37% and 24%, respectively. The respective 2-year OS and PFS rates of the 8 patients with CR or PR at the time of transplantation were 57% and 45%, while those with advanced disease were 14% and 0%. In conclusion, the treatment outcomes of allo-SCT in patients with LBL were unsatisfactory. Although outcomes were promising in patients with CR or PR at the time of transplantation, they were dismal in patients with progressive disease. Further advances in chemotherapy, both induction and salvage therapies, are needed to improve the clinical outcomes of patients with LBL.