Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for refractory and recurrent low-grade lymphoma: The case for aggressive management

Purpose: To evaluate the role of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in recurrent low-grade lymphoma. Patients and Methods: Between 1989 and 1994, 10 patients with chemotherapy-refractory and recurrent low-grade lymphoma were treated with myeloablative therapy and allogeneic BMT. All patients had poor prognostic features and had been extensively pretreated. Results: Eight patients achieved a complete remission and none have relapsed at a median follow-up time of 816 days (range, 346 to 1,865). Two patients died of early complications. The actuarial survival and failure-free survival rates are both 80% ± 12.6%. For surviving patients, the duration of the current remission exceeds that of any previous remission achieved. Conclusion: These results compare favorably with those for autologous BMT, Allogeneic BMT offers considerable promise for the treatment of patients with poorprognosis low-grade lymphoma. Its role should be further defined in prospective studies.