Current status and future perspectives for yttrium-90 ((90)Y)-ibritumomab tiuxetan in stem cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Author(s): Gisselbrecht C, Bethge W, Duarte RF, Gianni AM, Glass B, Haioun C, Martinelli G, Nagler A, Pettengell R, Sureda A, Tilly H, Wilson K

Affiliation(s): Institut d'Hematologie, Hopital Saint-Louis, Paris, France. christian.gisselbrecht@sls.ap-hop-paris.fr

Publication date & source: 2007-12, Bone Marrow Transplant., 40(11):1007-17. Epub 2007 Oct 8.

Publication type: Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review

Haematopoietic SCT is currently considered a therapeutic option mainly in relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) owing to high post-transplantation relapse rates and significant toxicity of conventional myeloablative conditioning for allogeneic SCT. Radiolabelled immunotherapy combines the benefits of monoclonal antibody targeting with therapeutic doses of radiation, and is a promising advance in the treatment of malignant lymphomas. It is now under investigation as a component of conditioning prior to SCT, with the aim of improving outcomes following SCT without increasing the toxicity of high-dose chemotherapy pre-transplant conditioning. An expert panel met at a European workshop in November 2006 to review the latest data on radiolabelled immunotherapy in the transplant setting, and its potential future directions, with a focus on (90)Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan. They reviewed data on the combination of standard/high/escalating dose (90)Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan with high-dose chemotherapy, and high/escalating dose (90)Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan as the sole myeloablative agent, prior to autologous SCT, and also (90)Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan as a component of reduced intensity conditioning prior to allogeneic SCT. The preliminary data are highly promising in terms of conditioning tolerability and patient outcomes following transplant; further phase II studies are now needed to consolidate these data and to investigate specific patient populations and NHL subtypes.