The final report regarding allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) and in T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (T-NHL) was published by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care in July

On the 4th of July of 2018, the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has published a final report regarding allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) and in T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (T-NHL). The following aims were outlined in the scope of this report:

• The benefit assessment of ASCT in adults with aggressive B-cell lymphoma (excluding primary CNS lymphomas) with:
  • progression or relapse after high-dose chemotherapy and ASCT in comparison to patients treated without curative intent (B-NHL/post-auto-SCT);
  • absence of progression or relapse after therapy without stem cell transplantation compared to a high dose chemotherapy and ASCT (B-NHL/naïve SCT);
• The benefit assessment of ASCT as a first-line therapy in adults with T-cell lymphoma (except cutaneous T-cell lymphomas) and the need for systemic drug therapy in comparison to systemic drug therapy alone or in combination with high-dose chemotherapy and ASCT (T-NHL/first line);
• The benefit assessment of ASCT as a first-line therapy in adults with T-cell lymphoma (except cutaneous T-cell lymphomas) with progression or relapse after systemic drug therapy compared to patients treated without curative intent (T-NHL/high-grade).

The following conclusions were provided:

• Overall, the benefit of allogeneic stem cell transplantation in B-NHL and T-NHL is unclear, as no meaningful studies are available;
• Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is currently associated with the risk of graft-versus-host disease, so the potential risks and benefits of the allogeneic stem cell transplantation should be considered before its use;
• No studies have assessed a quality of life of the patients.

See full details in German here.

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