Survival outcomes of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation in Germany: real-world evidence from an administrative database between 2010 and 2019

BACKGROUND: Limited real-world evidence is available for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who received an autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in Germany.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to describe the real-world survival outcomes of patients with DLBCL who received ASCT in Germany after diagnosis.

DESIGN: This study is a retrospective database analysis covering the period between 2010 and 2019.

METHODS: Unadjusted overall survival (OS) was plotted using the Kaplan-Meier estimator for the overall population and stratified by relapse status. A Cox regression was run to identify factors that influence OS.

RESULTS: A total of 112 patients received an ASCT, with the average time from first-line treatment to ASCT being 11.7 months. The median OS estimated by Kaplan-Meier was 83.4 months for the entire cohort. The only variable that significantly reduced the OS was the presence of subsequent treatment after ASCT in a time-dependent model.

CONCLUSION: OS after ASCT for DLBCL patients in Germany is higher than previously reported and may still be considered a valid option for carefully selected patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL.