The Efficacy and Safety of Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT) in Frontline Therapy of Patients With High-Risk Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

There is evidence to suggest that chemotherapy followed by ASCT may be more effective than standard chemotherapy alone as a frontline treatment for high-risk DLBCL patients. However, the use of ASCT as frontline therapy for DLBCL remains controversial due to concerns over the potential toxicities of the procedure, as well as questions about which patients would benefit most from this approach.

The investigators aim to conduct this prospective study to observe the efficacy and safety of ASCT as frontline therapy in DLBCL patients with high-risk disease, defined by an International Prognostic Index (IPI) score equal to or greater than 3 points.

Patients diagnosed with DLBCL and an IPI score of equal to or greater than three will be eligible for inclusion in this study, provided they consent to receive the standard R-CHOP (Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunomycin, oncovin, and prednisone) regimen, followed by ASCT. During the interim evaluation, patients achieving complete response (CR) as determined by computed tomography (CT), or complete metabolic response (CMR) as determined by positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), will be followed up for up to two years after completing the R-CHOP regimen followed by ASCT. Patients achieving partial response (PR) as determined by CT, or partial metabolic response (PMR) as determined by PET-CT, and who are willing to receive Pola-R-CHP (Polatuzumab vedotin, rituximab, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunomycin, and prednisone) as the following treatment regimen followed by ASCT with Pola-BEAM (Polatuzumab vedotin, carmustine/bendamustine, etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan) as conditioning regimen, will also be followed up for up to two years. Patients achieving less than a PR or PMR response will be excluded from the study.