Outcomes of allogeneic HCT in Hodgkin lymphoma in the era of checkpoint inhibitors: a joint CIBMTR and EBMT analysis

M Miguel-Angel Perales (1Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY) F Farrukh T. Awan (3Division of Hematology and Oncology, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX) A Ariane Boumendil (32Intergroupe Francophone du Myelome, Paris, France) J Jinalben Patel (24Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States) L Luca Castagna (12BMT unit, AOR Villa Sofia Cervello, Palermo, Italy, Palermo, Italy) E Emanuele Angelucci H Herve Finel (4European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Lymphoma Working Party, Paris, France) A Alexander Kulagin (1RM Gorbacheva Research Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation) B Bertram Glass (21Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy Helios Klinikum Berlin-Buch, Berlin, Germany) P Paolo Corradini (8Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Haematology, Milan, Italy) A Alex F. Herrera (10Duarte Cancer Center, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA) D Didier Blaise (19Programme de Transplantation & Therapie Cellulaire, Marseille, France) M Mohamed A. Kharfan-Dabaja (Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States) K Khalid Halahleh (10Department of Internal Medicine, Adult BMT Program, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan) S Sairah Ahmed (2Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX) C Carmen Martínez S Sebastian Giebel S Silvia Montoto (21Department of Haemato-Oncology, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom) R Richard J. Jones (Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) N Nausheen Ahmed (5University of Kansas Health System, Division of Hematological Malignancy and Cellular Therapeutics, Kansas City, United States) R Ryan C. Lynch M Marcos J. de Lima (1Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH) M Mazyar Shadman C Craig S. Sauter (23Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH) K Kwang W. Ahn (5Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI) M Mehdi Hamadani (12Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI) A Ali Bazarbachi (21Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon) A Anna Sureda (Institut Català d'Oncologia, Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

Abstract Checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) have shown remarkable efficacy in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and are now used routinely. While allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains a curative option for HL, there are concerns prior CPIs may exacerbate post–allo-HCT complications, particularly graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and lead to worse outcomes. Given the relative paucity of data, we performed a Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research/European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation study to examine the impact of prior CPIs in allo-HCT. We included 2186 adult patients aged >18 years who received a first allo-HCT using a matched related, unrelated, or haploidentical donor from 2008 to 2023. Twenty-seven percent of patients received prior CPIs. GVHD prophylaxis was posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) in 55.8% of patients in the CPI cohort, and 35% in the non-CPI cohort. Median follow-up among survivors was longer for the non-CPI (39 months) than CPI cohort (16.5 months). In multivariate analysis, prior CPI exposure did not affect overall survival (OS) or nonrelapse mortality, but resulted in improved progression-free survival (non-CPI vs CPI hazard ratio [HR], 0.81; 0.67-0.98; P = .03) and lower relapse incidence (HR, 0.58; 0.45-0.76; P < 001). While grade 2 to 4 (HR, 1.26; 1.04-1.53; P = .02) and 3 to 4 (HR, 1.41; 1.04-1.92; P = .03) acute GVHD (aGVHD) were increased, differences in chronic GVHD (cGVHD) were not significant. PTCy–based GVHD prophylaxis resulted in improved OS, lower grade 2 to 4 aGVHD, and cGVHD in patients with prior CPI exposure. In summary, allo-HCT should still be considered a curative option for patients with HL in the era of CPIs.

Article Details

Journal Blood
Volume / Issue Vol. 146, Issue 8
Published August 21, 2025
Pages 1011-1029
ISSN 0006-4971
Publisher Elsevier BV

Journal Info

Blood

Elsevier BV

ISSN: 0006-4971 Health Sciences

Authors (28)

M

Miguel-Angel Perales

1Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

F

Farrukh T. Awan

3Division of Hematology and Oncology, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX

A

Ariane Boumendil

32Intergroupe Francophone du Myelome, Paris, France

J

Jinalben Patel

24Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States

L

Luca Castagna

12BMT unit, AOR Villa Sofia Cervello, Palermo, Italy, Palermo, Italy

E

Emanuele Angelucci

H

Herve Finel

4European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Lymphoma Working Party, Paris, France

A

Alexander Kulagin

1RM Gorbacheva Research Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation

B

Bertram Glass

21Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy Helios Klinikum Berlin-Buch, Berlin, Germany

P

Paolo Corradini

8Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Haematology, Milan, Italy

A

Alex F. Herrera

10Duarte Cancer Center, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA

D

Didier Blaise

19Programme de Transplantation & Therapie Cellulaire, Marseille, France

M

Mohamed A. Kharfan-Dabaja

Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States

K

Khalid Halahleh

10Department of Internal Medicine, Adult BMT Program, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan

S

Sairah Ahmed

2Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

C

Carmen Martínez

S

Sebastian Giebel

S

Silvia Montoto

21Department of Haemato-Oncology, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom

R

Richard J. Jones

Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

N

Nausheen Ahmed

5University of Kansas Health System, Division of Hematological Malignancy and Cellular Therapeutics, Kansas City, United States

R

Ryan C. Lynch

M

Marcos J. de Lima

1Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

M

Mazyar Shadman

C

Craig S. Sauter

23Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

K

Kwang W. Ahn

5Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

M

Mehdi Hamadani

12Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

A

Ali Bazarbachi

21Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

A

Anna Sureda

Institut Català d'Oncologia, Barcelona, Spain