The role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with relapsed or primary refractory childhood B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and mature B‐cell leukemia: A retrospective analysis of enrolled cases in Japan

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Abstract
Background: There have been excellent treatment results for children with B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (B‐NHL) and mature B‐cell leukemia (B‐ALL) in the last few decades. However, a small subset of relapsed or refractory patients, after first‐line therapy, still have a poor prognosis.Procedure: Thirty‐three patients with relapsed or primary refractory B‐NHL/B‐ALL among 327 newly diagnosed patients between 1996 and 2004 were analyzed retrospectively.Results: After salvage therapy, 18 patients were chemotherapy‐sensitive and 15 patients suffered from progression. Among 18 patients who had a chemotherapy‐sensitive disease, 4 of 5 patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) during remission survived without progression, while 3 of 12 patients who did not receive HSCT were alive without disease progression. Fifteen patients never sensitive to salvage therapy died.Conclusions: Patients with relapsed/primary refractory B‐NHL/B‐ALL have a poor prognosis with current treatment approaches, while the patients sensitive to salvage therapy have a respectable chance to achieve a sustained complete second remission with HSCT. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;51:188–192.

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