Results of a completely outpatient autologous stem cell transplant program for lymphoma patients receiving reduced-intensity conditioning

Abstract

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is commonly an in-patient procedure. However, outpatient ASCT grows as a cost-effective and feasible option for patients with lymphoma and reports assessing it after reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) are sparse. We report the outcome of 102 patients with lymphoma who underwent ASCT on a full outpatient basis in a single-center transplant program between 2010 and 2020. Forty-two percent of the cohort required transfusion support, 36.3% experienced a neutropenic fever episode, 25.5% mucositis, and 9.8% developed severe infection. At a median time of 5 days (range 1–28), only 22.5% of the cohort required admission within the first 100 days after the autograft, median length of hospital stay was 0 days (range 0–14) and neutropenic fever was the most common reason for hospitalization. Non-relapse mortality at 1 year was 5%. ASCT in a completely outpatient setting is feasible, safe, and highly effective to treat lymphoma patients.

Keywords:

• Autologous stem cell transplant
• transplantation
• lymphoma
• outpatient
• hospital readmission
• reduced-intensity conditioning

Acknowledgments

We thank Sergio Lozano-Rodriguez, M.D., for his help in editing the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

JCJP and MHC designed the study, MHC and LSC collected the data, EPG and MHC performed the analyses and interpreted the data. The first draft of the manuscript was written by MHC, JCJP, CHGA and DGA. All authors read and approved the manuscript.