What is the outcome in patients with acute leukaemia who survive severe acute graft‐versus‐host disease?

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGVHD) is a major complication of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). With new promising therapies, survival may improve for severe aGVHD.
We wanted to analyze the long‐term outcome in patients who survive severe aGVHD.
This study was a landmark analysis of 23 567 patients with acute Leukaemia who survived for more than 6 months after HSCT, 2002–2014. Patients alive after severe aGVHD (n = 1738) were compared to controls.
Patients with severe aGVHD had higher non‐relapse mortality (NRM) and higher rate of extensive chronic GVHD (cGVHD) than the controls (P < 10−5). The probability of relapse was significantly lower in the severe aGVHD group, but Leukaemia‐free survival (LFS) and overall survival were significantly lower than for the controls (P < 10−5). Five‐year LFS in patients with severe aGVHD was 49%, as opposed to 61% in controls with no or mild GVHD and 59% in patients with moderate GVHD.
HSCT patients who survive severe aGVHD have higher risk of developing extensive cGVHD, a higher NRM, a lower relapse probability, and lower LFS than other HSCT patients. This study is a platform for outcome analysis in patients treated with novel therapies for acute GVHD.