American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Certification Practice Exam

Patients with recurrent chemotherapy-sensitive Hodgkin lymphoma are typically candidates for which treatment?

1. Radiation therapy

2. Conventional chemotherapy

3. Bone marrow transplant

4. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT)

The correct answer is: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT)

Patients with recurrent chemotherapy-sensitive Hodgkin lymphoma are often suitable candidates for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) due to the nature of the disease and the treatment's ability to restore the patient’s bone marrow and immune system after high doses of chemotherapy. In cases where Hodgkin lymphoma responds well to chemotherapy, it indicates that the body can tolerate aggressive treatment. The autologous HSCT involves harvesting stem cells from the patient's own blood or bone marrow, allowing them to undergo intensive chemotherapy that targets the lymphoma. After this treatment, the harvested stem cells are reintroduced, enabling recovery of the bone marrow and the red and white blood cells needed for immune function. This approach takes advantage of the patient’s previous response to chemotherapy, creating a potent method of managing the disease and aiming for long-term remission. Other treatment options may not be as effective in this context. Radiation therapy, while effective for localized disease, is typically not a first-line therapy for recurrent disease. Conventional chemotherapy could be considered, but it often lacks the curative potential seen with HSCT in cases of recurrent disease. Bone marrow transplant, without the specification of being autologous, presents a different scenario generally involving allogeneic transplants, which are usually reserved