Allogeneic transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells after nonmyeloablative conditioning for Hodgkin's disease: indications and results.

A number of treatment options are available for patients with relapsed Hodgkin's disease (HD). Radiotherapy, salvage chemotherapy, high-dose therapy (HDT) followed by autologous transplantation, and classical or nonmyeloablative conditioning followed by allogeneic transplantation can all be effective in patients with relapsed HD. Patients with early relapse after modern first-line chemotherapy, as well as patients with primary progressive disease, will be candidates for innovative approaches including nonmyelablative stem cell transplant (NST). Although initial results with NST look promising, more time and structured study of both HD and NST will be necessary to ultimately define the role of NST in this disease.