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Stem Cells

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation provides sustained long-term survival for patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma

Leukemia volume 19, pages 829–834 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a distinct peripheral T-cell neoplasm that is highly resistant to chemotherapy. Several groups, including ours, have reported encouraging results of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for patients with ATLL. To confirm our previous report and to establish the basis for a phase II clinical study, we analyzed 40 allo-HSCT for acute and lymphoma types of ATLL in seven institutions in Japan between 1997 and 2002. All evaluable cases entered complete remission (CR) after allo-HSCT and the median survival time was 9.6 months for all patients. The estimated 3-year overall and relapse-free survival, and disease relapse were 45.3, 33.8 and 39.3%, respectively. Among 10 cases with ATLL relapse, five cases achieved CR again: three by the reduction or cessation of immunosuppressive agents, which suggested a graft-versus-ATLL (GvATLL) effect. However, univariate or multivariate analysis did not show any benefit of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) on the prevention of relapse. These results suggested that allo-HSCT was effective for some patients with aggressive ATLL, and that the GvATLL effect could be achieved even without GVHD. A new phase II trial to test the efficacy of allo-HSCT for ATLL is warranted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Molecular Medicine Unit, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan

    T Fukushima, Y Miyazaki & M Tomonaga

  2. Department of Radiation Epidemiology, Radiation Effect Research Unit, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan

    S Honda

  3. Institute for Clinical Research, Kumamoto National Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan

    F Kawano

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Sasebo City General Hospital, Sasebo, Japan

    Y Moriuchi

  5. Second Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Naha, Japan

    M Masuda

  6. Stem Cell Transplant Unit, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    R Tanosaki

  7. Department of Hematology, Imamura Bun-in Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan

    A Utsunomiya

  8. Department of Hematology and the Section of Pediatrics, National Kyushu Cancer Center, Fukuoka, Japan

    N Uike & J Okamura

  9. Department of Hematology, National Nagasaki Medical Center, Ohmura, Japan

    S Yoshida

Authors
  1. T Fukushima
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  2. Y Miyazaki
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  3. S Honda
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  4. F Kawano
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  5. Y Moriuchi
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  6. M Masuda
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  7. R Tanosaki
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  8. A Utsunomiya
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  9. N Uike
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  10. S Yoshida
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  11. J Okamura
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  12. M Tomonaga
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Correspondence to Y Miyazaki.

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Fukushima, T., Miyazaki, Y., Honda, S. et al. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation provides sustained long-term survival for patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Leukemia 19, 829–834 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403682

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403682

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