Role of autotransplantation in Hodgkin's disease

Autologous bone marrow transplantation offers the opportunity for long-term disease-free survival in patients with Hodgkin's disease who might be considered incurable with other treatments. The appearance of late relapses in some reports is worrisome, but it is hoped that the majority of long-term survivors are indeed cured. Fundamental questions remain concerning the best conditioning regimen, the best rescue source, the optimal timing of transplantation, and ultimately whether transplantation is better than conventional salvage techniques. Some of these answers may be provided if long-term follow-up studies are reported and results are analyzed with reference to known prognostic factors. Ultimately, prospective trials will be needed to more clearly define the role of transplantation in Hodgkin's disease. It is hoped that ongoing trials will lead to higher remission rates, lower relapse rates, and diminished transplant-related mortality.