Frontline High Dose Sequential Chemotherapy with Rituximab (R-HDS) and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Induces High Rates of Complete Response and Prolongs Survival in Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL).

We showed recently that the dismal outcome of MCL might be improved in 28 young patients (pts) (<61 years) by an up-front Rituximab supplemented high-dose sequential chemotherapy (R-HDS) supported by stem cell autograft (ASCT) (A.M. Gianni et al, Blood, 2003). Following this encouraging experience we treated other 26 pts aged<61 years with standard R-HDS and 19 aged >60 years with an age-adapted R-HDS. We report the outcome of 54 young pts (group 1), including the first 28 cases and that of 19 elderly pts (group 2). The majority of both groups had an advanced stage and bone marrow infiltration, while in elderly pts prevail B symptoms and > 1 extranodal site. One third of cases had >2 adverse prognostic features according to IPI. After 2–3 cycles of either doxorubicin- or cisplatin-containing chemotherapy, group 1 received standard R-HDS including: HD-cyclophosphamide (CTX) 7 gr/sqm and HD-Ara-C (2 g/sqm every 12 hours for 6 days). Following HDS chemotherapy a conditioning program with HD-melphalan (180 mg/sqm) and/or HD-mitoxantrone plus melphalan (60 and 180 mg/sqm) with ASCT was planned. Rituximab (375 mg /sqm) was given for a total of 6 doses, twice after HD-CTX and HD-Ara-C, as in vivo purging before CD34+ cells harvest and twice after ASCT. Elderly patients received an age-adapted R-HDS: HD-CTX (3–4 gr/sqm) and HD-Ara-C (1–1.5 g/sqm every 12 hours for 3–5 days), followed by HD-melphalan (120 mg/sqm) and HD-mitoxantrone plus melphalan (40 and 120 mg/sqm). 35 pts (65%) in group 1 and 9 (47%) in group 2 completed the planned program and a median number of 7.6 and 6.8 x 10^6 cells CD34+/kg were transplanted. After ASCT the CR rate was 88% in young and 95% in elderly patients. One young pt (2%) died during treatment, 1 developed sMDS and 5 died of late toxicity including a case of lung carcinoma. Among elderly pts only one died tardily because of cardiac disease. With a median follow-up of 48 months (range 8–101) in group 1 and 25 months (range 9–68) in group 2, the 5-year estimated OS, EFS and DFS were 77%, 60% and 71%, in group 1 and 55%, 53% and not yet achieved in group 2. The Cox multivariate analysis failed to identify within potential prognostic markers factors predictive for OS and EFS. We conclude that R-HDS is an effective regimen for the induction of complete remissions in pts with newly diagnosed MCL. The manageable toxicity of the program in elderly pts proved that an age-adjusted R-HDS regimen can be safely applied to this age subgroup still producing long-term remissions.