Outcomes of both abbreviated hyper‐ CVAD induction followed by autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation and conventional chemotherapy for mantle cell lymphoma: a 10‐year single‐centre experience with literature review

We retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients diagnosed with Mantle cell lymphoma ( MCL ) between 01 January 2000 and 31 December 2009. Eighty eight patients with MCL were included in the analysis of whom 46 (52%) received abbreviated Hyper‐ CVAD (a total of two cycles; with addition of Rituximab since 2005) with an intention of proceeding to autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto‐ HCT ), with a median age of 58 years. Response rate to induction at auto‐ HCT time was 89% and complete response was 61%. Forty four patients received an auto‐ HCT with a 5‐year progression‐free survival ( PFS ) and overall survival ( OS ) were 31.2% and 62.5%, respectively. There were 42 nontransplant eligible patients with a median age of 72 years, and 5‐year PFS and OS were 0.0% and 39.9%, respectively. The median survival and PFS in the auto‐ HCT eligible group were 68 and 33 months, compared to 32 and 12 months in nontransplant eligible group, without a plateauing of the survival curves in either group. Treatment‐related mortality in the auto‐ HCT eligible group was 10.9% ( n  = 5); two patients died during R‐Hyper‐ CVAD and 3 (6.8%) experienced transplant‐related mortality. An abbreviated R‐Hyper‐ CVAD ‐based induction strategy followed by consolidative auto‐ HCT is feasible and provides moderate potential of long‐term survival. Further research to define risk‐adapted strategies; to optimize disease control, is required.