Role of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract

High-dose chemotherapy (HD-CT) in combination with autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) has long become the gold standard treatment for chemosensitive recurrences and refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). By taking into account the low efficiency of rescue therapy (postrecurrence five-year survival rate is not more than 10-20%), it is clear that the results of treatment should be improved in the induction of the first remission. The study performed in the rituximab time showed the higher efficiency of first-line therapy using auto-SCT. Therapeutic effectiveness was also noted to depend on the intensity of pretransplantation regimens. Indications for HD-CT with auto-SCT must be substantiated because of the higher toxicity together with therapy intensification. Conventional clinical criteria for this are insufficient. Thus, it is necessary to search for new molecular genetic prognostic factors that will be able to portray tumor biology.

Keywords

• diffuse large b-cell lymphoma
• high-dose chemotherapy
• autologous stem cell transplantation
• poor predictors