Combining Yttrium 90–Labeled Ibritumomab Tiuxetan with High-Dose Chemotherapy and Stem Cell Support in Patients with Relapsed Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Targeted radioimmunotherapy, including yttrium 90-labeled ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) and iodine I 131 tositumomab (Bexxar), has the potential to increase the cure rate for patients with CD20+ B-cell malignancies who are undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The results of phase I and II trials suggest that radioimmunoconjugates can be safely combined with high-dose chemotherapy, although the optimal approach remains to be established. This review focuses on the use of 90Y ibritumomab tiuxetan combined with high-dose chemotherapy in the setting of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.