Treatment of Monomorphic Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder in Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant: A

Catherine Mark1, Georgina Martin2, Bjorn Baadjes3

  • 1Division of Hematology/Oncology, Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON.

Insights

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a common childhood malignancy after organ transplant. Outcomes for monomorphic PTLD varied by PTLD subtype, with B-cell PTLD showing better survival than T/NK-cell PTLD.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Hematology
  • Transplant Medicine

Background:

  • Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is the most frequent malignancy in pediatric transplant recipients.
  • Monomorphic PTLD subtypes, particularly B-cell lymphomas, represent a significant clinical challenge.

Approach:

  • A retrospective review of 55 pediatric patients diagnosed with monomorphic PTLD across three Canadian centers from 2001-2021.
  • Analysis of patient demographics, PTLD subtypes, treatment strategies (including rituximab, chemotherapy regimens, and immunosuppression reduction), and clinical outcomes.

Key Points:

  • B-cell PTLD (Burkitt lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) comprised 87.2% of cases.
  • Treatment for B-cell PTLD predominantly involved rituximab and chemotherapy, with no significant outcome difference between the two main regimens used.
  • Natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma patients (9.1%) uniformly received reduced immunosuppression plus chemotherapy, but all experienced disease progression and mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Projected 3-year event-free survival was 62% and 3-year overall survival was 77% for all monomorphic PTLD patients.
  • Outcomes for pediatric monomorphic PTLD are significantly influenced by PTLD subtype, with T/NK-cell PTLD demonstrating a uniformly fatal course in this cohort.