Analysis of risk factors for outcomes after unrelated cord blood transplantation in adults with lymphoid malignancies: a study by the Eurocord-Netcord and lymphoma working party of the European group for blood and marrow transplantation.

Purpose: To determine risk factors of umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) for patients with lymphoid malignancies.

Patients And Methods: We evaluated 104 adult patients (median age, 41 years) who underwent unrelated donor UCBT for lymphoid malignancies. UCB grafts were two-antigen human leukocyte antigen-mismatched in 68%, and were composed of one (n = 78) or two (n = 26) units. Diagnoses were non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL, n = 61), Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL, n = 29), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL, n = 14), with 87% having advanced disease and 60% having experienced failure with a prior autologous transplant. Sixty-four percent of patients received a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen and 46% low-dose total-body irradiation (TBI). Median follow-up was 18 months.

Results: Cumulative incidence of neutrophil engraftment was 84% by day 60, with greater engraftment in recipients of higher CD34(+) kg/cell dose (P = .0004). CI of non-relapse-related mortality (NRM) was 28% at 1 year, with a lower risk in patients treated with low-dose total-body irradiation (TBI; P = .03). Cumulative incidence of relapse or progression was 31% at 1 year, with a lower risk in recipients of double-unit UCBT (P = .03). The probability of progression-free survival (PFS) was 40% at 1 year, with improved survival in those with chemosensitive disease (49% v 34%; P = .03), who received conditioning regimens containing low-dose TBI (60% v 23%; P = .001), and higher nucleated cell dose (49% v 21%; P = .009).

Conclusion: UCBT is a viable treatment for adults with advanced lymphoid malignancies. Chemosensitive disease, use of low-dose TBI, and higher cell dose were factors associated with significantly better outcome.