Current treatment strategies in relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma: where are we now?

The management of relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma remains challenging. Patients with relapsed mantle cell lymphoma have been treated with multi-agent salvage chemotherapies; however, outcomes are poor. Although there have been studies in the relapse/refractory setting, current data indicate that autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may be an especially useful approach in the front line setting in patients in first complete or partial remission following induction chemotherapy. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only curative option, although reduced intensity conditioning in chemo-sensitive relapse or refractory mantle cell lymphoma provides better survival rates. In addition, bortezomib, lenalidomide, temsirolimus, and ibrutinib have opened a new therapeutic era. More randomized trials should be conducted to evaluate the appropriate use of these new molecules. In this review, I discuss autologous and allo-transplant options as well as the data regarding recently approved novel agents in the relapse/refractory setting in patients with MCL.