Up‐front autologous stem cell transplant in peripheral T‐cell lymphoma patients achieving complete response after first‐line treatment: A multicentre real‐world analysis

Summary We conducted a retrospective, multicentre study to compare consolidation therapy with or without first‐line autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) for peripheral T‐cell lymphoma (PTCL) patients in a real‐world setting. We enrolled 347 PTCL patients who achieved complete response after first‐line treatment. Of these, 257 received consolidation chemotherapy (non‐ASCT group) and 90 received ASCT (ASCT group). Clinical outcomes were comparable between ASCT and non‐ASCT groups. After propensity score matching, the 2‐year cumulative incidence of treatment‐related mortality and relapse remained similar between groups (1.9% vs. 2.0%, p = 0.985; 24.7% vs. 47.1%, p = 0.021). However, significant differences emerged in progression‐free survival and overall survival probabilities. Within the T‐cell lymphoma subgroup, ASCT patients exhibited favourable outcomes compared to non‐ASCT patients: 2‐year progression‐free survival (73.4% vs. 50.8%, p = 0.024) and overall survival (92.1% vs. 73.5%, p = 0.021). Notably, no significant differences were observed for patients with NK/T‐cell lymphoma. These real‐world data suggest that up‐front ASCT is a safe and effective consolidation option for PTCL patients in remission, particularly those with T‐cell lymphoma.