Autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute leukemia in remission. the Genoa experience
Carella, A.M.; Martinengo, M.; Santini, G.; Gaozza, E.; Nati, S.; Congiu, A.; Giordano, D.; Scarpati, D.; Cerri, R.; Risso, M.
Haematologica 73(2): 119-124
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0390-6078 PMID: 3137126 Document Number: 307787
Between 1981 and 1987, 36 patients with acute leukemia received high-dose therapy programs followed by autologous bone marrow cells, previously collected while the patients were in first or subsequent complete remissions (CR). Thirteen patients had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and in seven of them autologous marrow cells were treated "ex vivo" with mafosfamide (ASTA-Z 7557) with the aim of removing residual blastic cells. Two patients died within one month from ABMT and ten patients relapsed within 20 months and died: only one patient is alive and well 38 months after ABMT. Twenty-three patients received ABMT for acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL), of whom 21 were in first CR (CR-1) and 2 in second CR (CR-2). Thirteen out of 21 (61.9%) receiving ABMT in CR-1 are alive and well 2-41 months (median 15 months) from ABMT and 4 to 50 months (median 22 months) after CR-1 achievement. Both patients in CR-2 receiving the BU-Cy protocol and marrow treatment in vitro with ASTA-Z relapsed precociously and one of them died. These preliminary results suggest that high-dose therapy/ABMT is of value if offered to ANLL patients in CR-1, while the role of this approach remains uncertain for ANLL in CR-2 and especially in ALL patients.