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The following is a summary of “Hematopoietic stem cell transplant in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas: A multicentre propensity-score matched study,” published in the March 2025 issue of Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology by Bejarano et al. 

Limited data suggests allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) may offer a curative option for refractory advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) despite high relapse rates and adverse events.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze outcomes of individuals undergoing HSCT for advanced primary CTCL in Spain and compare their survival with those who did not receive HSCT.  

They utilized the Primary Cutaneous Lymphoma Registry (RELCP) of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology to collect data on all individuals who underwent HSCT. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to pair HSCT recipients with non-HSCT individuals, adjusting for diagnosis, highest disease stage, and age at diagnosis. Survival analysis was performed using Cox regression.  

The results showed that out of 2,848 individuals in the RELCP, 51 underwent HSCT. Complete response was achieved by 70.6% (36 individuals), while 13.7% (7 individuals) had a partial response. Relapse occurred in 56.9%, and 39.2% died, including 19.6% due to disease progression and 15.7% from HSCT-related complications, primarily graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and sepsis. The overall survival (OS) at 5 years after HSCT was 58.9%, with no significant difference in OS between HSCT and non-HSCT groups.  

Investigators concluded that HSCT did not demonstrate a survival advantage in the RELCP, potentially due to extensive prior treatments, and suggested that future, larger studies might pinpoint specific patient subgroups who could benefit from HSCT. 

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jdv.20638