Treatment Patterns for Patients with Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder Who Fail Rituximab after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Findings from a Systematic Literature Review

Introduction: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a well-recognized disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) and is one of the most common post-transplant malignancies. In most cases, PTLD is associated with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection. The management of PTLD remains a challenge, with no approved treatments for patients. Clinical practice treatment guidelines recommend rituximab as first-line therapy for PTLD post-allogeneic HCT; however, treatment options for PTLD patients who fail rituximab are not clearly defined. We conducted a systematic literature review of the published literature to better understand treatment patterns for patients with PTLD who fail rituximab post-allogeneic HCT in a real-world setting. Methods: The systematic literature review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines with the scope defined in terms of Population, Intervention Comparators, Outcomes, and Study design (PICOS) criteria. Using extensive search terms for the indication and study designs, studies were identified using key biomedical literature databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane. The literature search was conducted on July 19, 2018 and included studies published between database inception in January 1, 1959 and July 19, 2018. Relevant congress abstracts published between January 2015 and June 2018 were also identified. The PICOS-based inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to review identified citations. No treatment limitations were imposed to ensure inclusion of all relevant evidence; the study designs were limited to prospective and retrospective observational studies. Case reports were included regardless of sample size. Two independent reviewers screened all citations and full-text articles; any discrepancies were resolved by a third independent reviewer. Data from included studies were extracted into a pre-defined template, and results were summarized using the PRISMA flow diagram. Results: A total of 69 studies were identified that described patients with PTLD post-allogeneic HCT. The majority (61 studies) were retrospective chart reviews, of which 54 studies were single-center studies. Forty-eight studies reported data on treatment of patients with PTLD. Among these, 5 studies included data prior to 2000, 33 studies included data from 2000-2010, and 26 studies included data from 2010-2016. The sample size for PTLD patients was be