Dr. Sauter on Pembrolizumab After Stem Cell Transplant in T-Cell NHL

Craig Sauter, MD, director, Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, discusses the investigation of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) given after stem cell transplant in T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

There is evidence for single-agent PD-1 inhibition in subtypes of peripheral T-cell lymphoma(PTCL), Sauter says. Additionally, high-dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplant can provide a unique opportunity to administer immunotherapy in a lymphodepleted environment, Sauter explains.

Because of their rarity, investigators examined this approach in a small cohort of 21 patients with various PTCL histologies, Sauter continues. The primary end point of the investigation was met within this cohort with 62% of the patients being progression free at 18 months, Sauter explains. In the future, it will be important to delineate which histologies are particularly sensitive to this intervention, Sauter concludes.