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Seventy-two chronic myeloid leukemia patients were enrolled as part of a larger randomized trial at 3 centers between March 1996 and July 2001 to undergo either HLA-matched related allogeneic bone marrow (BM) or filgrastim (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor)-mobilized peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation. Forty patients received BM, and 32 patients received PBSCs. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), overall survival, disease-free survival, or non-relapse-related mortality between patients receiving BM or PBSC transplants. The cumulative incidence of grade II to IV acute GVHD was 49% in BM and 55% in PBSC recipients ( P = .48). The cumulative incidence of clinical extensive chronic GVHD was 50% in BM and 59% in PBSC recipients ( P = .46). Among 62 chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients, there was no significant difference in overall survival (87% versus 81%; P = .59), disease-free survival (80% versus 81%; P = .61), or non-relapse-related mortality (13% versus 19%; P = .60) by cell source (BM versus PBSCs). Among chronic phase patients, however, there was a trend toward a higher cumulative incidence of relapse at 3 years in BM recipients (7% versus 0%; P = .10) and a higher cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD in PBSC recipients (59% versus 40%; P = .11). The trend toward a higher relapse incidence in BM recipients persisted with a longer follow-up.

In the early 1990s, 4 randomized studies compared conditioning regimens before transplantation for leukemia with either cyclophosphamide (CY) and total-body irradiation (TBI), or busulfan (Bu) and CY. This study analyzed the long-term outcomes for 316 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and 172 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who participated in these 4 trials, now with a mean follow-up of more than 7 years. Among patients with CML, no statistically significant difference in survival or disease-free survival emerged from testing the 2 regimens. The projected 10-year survival estimates were 65% and 63% with Bu-CY versus CY-TBI, respectively. Among patients with AML, the projected 10-year survival estimates were 51% and 63% (95% CI, 52%-74%) with Bu-CY versus CY-TBI, respectively. At last follow-up, most surviving patients had unimpaired health and had returned to work, regardless of the conditioning regimen. Late complications were analyzed after adjustment for patient age and for acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). CML patients who received CY-TBI had an increased risk of cataract formation, and patients treated with Bu-CY had an increased risk of irreversible alopecia. Chronic GVHD was the primary risk factor for late pulmonary disease and avascular osteonecrosis. Thus, Bu-CY and CY-TBI provided similar probabilities of cure for patients with CML. In patients with AML, a nonsignificant 10% lower survival rate was observed after Bu-CY. Late complications occurred equally after both conditioning regimens (except for increased risk of cataract after CY-TBI and of alopecia with Bu-CY).

The bcr-abl chimeric messenger RNA is frequently detected in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients after bone marrow transplantation. It was previously reported that the relapse risk of bcr-abl detection 6 to 12 months after transplantation was greater than 40%. This risk decreased as the time between transplantation and detection increased. To further define the relapse risk associated with bcr-abl molecular detection in "late" CML survivors, 379 consecutive CML patients alive at 18 months after transplantation or later were studied. Ninety of 379 patients (24%) had at least one positive bcr-abl test 18 months after transplantation or later; 13 of 90 bcr-abl-positive patients (14%) and 3 of 289 bcr-abl-negative patients (1.0%) relapsed. The median time from bcr-abl detection to relapse was 916 days (range, 251-2654 days). The hazard ratio of relapse associated with bcr-abl detection was 19.2 (P <.0001). The stage of disease, chronic graft-versus-host disease, and the donor type did not alter the association between bcr-abl and relapse. Quantification of bcr-abl was performed on 344 samples from 85 bcr-abl-positive patients by means of a real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay. The median bcr-abl change of patients who relapsed was significantly greater than those that remained in remission (P =.002). The median bcr-abl level at relapse was 40 443 bcr-abl copies per microg RNA (range, 960-299 552). Of 73 bcr-abl-positive patients who failed to relapse, 69% had only one positive test at a median of 24 copies bcr-abl per microg RNA. The detection of bcr-abl is common following transplantation. The prognostic significance of a qualitative bcr-abl can be refined by quantitative assays and thus may target patients who would benefit from early intervention.

Background: In recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic-cell transplants, peripheral-blood cells mobilized with the use of filgrastim (recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) engraft more rapidly than bone marrow. However, the relative effects of these techniques on the rates of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease, overall survival, and disease-free survival have not been determined in randomized studies., Methods: Between March 1996 and July 1999, 172 patients (12 to 55 years of age) with hematologic cancer were randomly assigned to receive either bone marrow or filgrastim-mobilized peripheral-blood cells from HLA-identical relatives for hematopoietic rescue after the treatment of hematologic cancer with high doses of chemotherapy, with or without radiation., Results: The recovery of both neutrophils and platelets was faster with peripheral-blood cells than with marrow (P<0.001 for both comparisons). The cumulative incidence of grade II, III, or IV acute graft-versus-host disease at 100 days was 64 percent with peripheral-blood cells and 57 percent with marrow (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.81 to 1.81; P=0.35). The cumulative incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease was 46 percent with peripheral-blood cells and 35 percent with marrow (hazard ratio, 1.16; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.71 to 1.90; P=0.54). The estimated overall probability of survival at two years was 66 percent with peripheral-blood cells and 54 percent with marrow (hazard ratio for death, 0.62; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.38 to 1.02; P=0.06). The rate of disease-free survival at two years was 65 percent with peripheral-blood cells and 45 percent with marrow (hazard ratio for relapse or death, 0.60; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.38 to 0.95; P=0.03)., Conclusions: In patients given high-dose chemotherapy, with or without radiation, for the treatment of hematologic cancer, allogeneic peripheral-blood cells used for hematopoietic rescue restore blood counts faster than allogeneic bone marrow, without increasing the risk of graft-versus-host disease.

One hundred seven adult patients with thalassemia aged from 17 through 35 years and transplanted from HLA-identical siblings between November 1988 and September 1996 were evaluated on December 31, 1997. The outcome experience of 20 consecutive patients transplanted between November 13, 1988 and January 10, 1991 and reported in September 1992 is updated after 5 additional years. The experience on 87 patients transplanted between May 1991 and September 1996 is described and evaluated as of the end of December 1997. Of 107 patients, 69 survive between 1.5 and 9 years after transplantation. Sixty-six of these patients do not have thalassemia and are identified as ex-thalassemic after bone marrow transplantation. The youngest survivor is 20 years old, 6 are older than 30 years, and the oldest is 37 years of age. Patients with chronic active hepatitis at the time of transplant were significantly more likely to die than patients without (P =.05; relative risk, 2.05). Marrow transplantation is a valid treatment option for older patients with thalassemia who have suitable donors and show deterioration with conventional therapy.

Treatment options for patients diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in chronic phase (CP) who lack a suitable related donor for marrow transplantation include hydroxyurea, interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), or transplantation from an unrelated donor (URD). Most studies support the view that treatment with IFN-alpha results in prolonged survival compared with hydroxyurea therapy. Some patients are offered URD transplantation as a second-line treatment; however, the impact of pretransplant IFN-alpha on the outcome of URD transplantation is uncertain. To address this question, we evaluated the effect of pretransplant IFN-alpha therapy in 184 patients undergoing URD transplantation for CML in CP at a single center. Of the 184 patients, 114 did not receive IFN-alpha, whereas 22, 23, and 25 patients received IFN-alpha for, respectively, 1 to 5, 6 to 12, and more than 12 months before transplant. Pretransplant IFN-alpha therapy administered for > or = 6 months was associated with an increased risk of severe (grades III-IV) acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD; relative risk [RR], 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4 to 6.2; P = .004) and mortality (RR, 2. 1; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.5; P = .003) relative to less than 6 months or no IFN-alpha therapy. Increased mortality occurred between 100 and 365 days after transplant (P = .005), was limited to patients with severe acute GVHD, and was due to chronic GVHD refractory to immunosuppressive therapy. Other variables associated with mortality included HLA-DRB1 or DQB1 (but not HLA-A or B) mismatched donors, age greater than 50 years, weight > or = 110% of ideal body weight, and the absence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) or fungal prophylaxis. For patients treated with IFN-alpha for less than 6 months before transplant, who were < or = 50 years of age, received a HLA-A, B, DRB1, and DQB1 matched URD transplant, and received CMV and fungal prophylaxis after transplant (n = 48), survival was 87% +/- 5% at 5 years. These data provide a rationale for immediate transplantation in preference to extended treatment with IFN-alpha when the patient is < or = 50 years of age and has an HLA-compatible unrelated volunteer donor.

Allogeneic marrow transplantation is curative therapy for thalassemia, but fewer than 30% of patients have an HLA-identical sibling marrow donor. Selection of alternative donors of hematopoietic stem cells (unrelated individuals or HLA-nonidentical family members) has been aided by establishment of world-wide donor registries now exceeding 3.6 million volunteers and by DNA-based HLA typing to more closely match potential donors. Coupled with improved methods to control graft-versus-host disease and prevent fungal and cytomegalovirus infection, remarkable progress has been made in alternative donor transplantation. For patients 50 years of age or younger, with recently diagnosed chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in chronic phase, 1- and 5-year survivals after HLA-A, B, DRB1 identical unrelated marrow transplantation in Seattle are 82% and 74%, respectively. These results are essentially identical to outcome in similar patients given HLA-matched sibling allografts. However, the world-wide number of alternative donor transplants for thalassemia remains limited to date: 4 unrelated and 60 HLA-nonidentical related transplants have been reported to the IBMTR since 1969 with actuarial overall survival of 75%. Using the paradigm of CML, it is likely that access to curative therapy of thalassemia will improve with optimal HLA typing and donor selection early in the course of disease.

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia can be cured by marrow transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling donor. The use of transplants from unrelated donors is an option for the 70 percent of patients without an HLA-identical sibling, but the morbidity and mortality associated with such transplants have been cause for concern. We analyzed the safety and efficacy of transplants from unrelated donors for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia and identified variables that predict a favorable outcome., Methods: Between May 1985 and December 1994, 196 patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase received marrow transplants from unrelated donors., Results: The median follow-up was 5 years (range, 1.2 to 10.1). Graft failure occurred in 5 percent of patients who could be evaluated. Acute graft-versus-host disease of grade III or IV severity was observed in 35 percent of patients who received HLA-matched transplants, and the estimated cumulative incidence of relapse at five years was 10 percent. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of survival at five years was 57 percent. Survival was adversely affected by an interval from diagnosis to transplantation of one year or more, an HLA-DRB1 mismatch, a high body-weight index, and an age of more than 50 years. Survival was improved by the prophylactic use of fluconazole and ganciclovir. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of survival at five years was 74 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 62 to 86 percent) for patients who were 50 years of age or younger who received a transplant from an HLA-matched donor within one year after diagnosis., Conclusions: Transplantation of marrow from an HLA-matched, unrelated donor is safe and effective therapy for selected patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

Marrow transplantation from human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matched related donors offers a high probability of prolonged treatment-free survival for patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia in chronic phase. Delay, patient and donor gender, patient age and previous palliation with busulphan predict outcome in this setting. Because of the median age at diagnosis and the genetics of the HLA system, transplants from HLA-matched related donors are available to less than 15% of newly diagnosed patients. Alternative donors include relatives with minor degrees of incompatibility and HLA-compatible unrelated volunteers. The probability of finding suitable unrelated donors has increased with the development of a network of registries now containing more than 3.6 million donors worldwide. Survival prospects will be improved by transplantation earlier in the course of the disease, better-matched donors and the discovery of new approaches for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease and opportunistic infections.

The influence of busulfan (BU) plasma concentration on outcome of transplantation from HLA identical family members for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) was examined in 45 patients transplanted in chronic phase (CP) (n = 39) or accelerated phase (AP) (n = 6). All patients received the same regimen of BU, 16 mg/kg orally and cyclophosphamide (CY), 120 mg/kg intravenously. Plasma concentrations of BU at steady state (C(SS)BU) during the dosing interval were measured for each patient. The mean C(SS)BU was 917 ng/mL (range, 642 to 1,749; median, 917; standard deviation, 213). Of patients with C(SS)BU below the median, seven (five of 18 in CP and two of four in AP) developed persistent cytogenetic relapse and three of these patients died. There were no relapses in patients with C(SS)BU above the median. The difference in the cumulative incidence of relapse between the two groups was statistically significant (P = .0003). C(SS)BU was the only statistically significant determinant of relapse in univariable or multivariable analysis. The 3-year survival estimates were 0.82 and 0.64 for patients with C(SS)BU above and below the median (P = .33). There was no statistically significant association of C(SS)BU with survival or nonrelapse mortality, although the power to detect a difference in survival between 0.82 and 0.64 was only 0.24, similarly C(SS)BU above the median was not associated with an increased risk of severe regimen-related toxicity. We conclude that low BU plasma levels are associated with an increased risk of relapse.

The association of mixed (donor/host) chimerism with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), graft rejection, disease recurrence and survival was investigated in 116 patients with aplastic anemia and 197 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) transplanted with unmodified marrow from an HLA-identical sibling donor of opposite sex. Patients with aplastic anemia were conditioned with cyclophosphamide (CY), patients with CML were conditioned with a combination of CY and total body irradiation (TBI) or busulfan. Sixty-three of the patients with aplastic anemia (54%) and 100 patients with CML (51%) were categorized as mixed chimeras based on the concurrent presence of donor and host lymphohematopoietic cells 14 days or later after transplantation. The TBI dose used for conditioning was inversely correlated with the development of mixed chimerism (P < 0.0001) among CML patients. No other patient- or transplant-related parameter was identified which contributed significantly to the development of mixed chimerism. The incidence of rejection was higher but not significantly so in patients with aplastic anemia who were mixed chimeras. The incidence of leukemic relapse in patients with CML who were mixed chimeras was increased only if mixed chimerism occurred after day 100 (P = 0.015). The incidence of acute GVHD (grades II-IV) was lower in mixed chimeras than in complete chimeras, but this difference was statistically significant only for patients with aplastic anemia given single-agent GVHD prophylaxis (P = 0.0008). Mixed chimeras in that group also had a better survival than complete chimeras, while no significant difference was observed in patients with aplastic anemia given drug combinations for GVHD prophylaxis. Among patients with CML, both overall survival (P = 0.03) and relapse-free survival (P = 0.04) were significantly superior in mixed than in complete chimeras. Thus, mixed chimerism was frequent among patients with aplastic anemia and with CML and was not uniformly associated with graft failure or leukemic relapse. The interaction between conditioning regimen, GVHD prophylaxis and chimerism are complex. The survival advantage of mixed chimeras is only in part related to a lower incidence of GVHD and other factors are likely to contribute.

Allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplants from HLA-identical siblings were performed in 37 patients with advanced hematologic malignancies. Outcomes were compared to a historical group of 37 similar patients with advanced hematologic malignancies receiving bone marrow (BM) transplants from HLA-identical donors. The PBSC group and historical BM group were well matched for diagnosis, disease stage, age, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Patients received PBSC transplants between 1993 to 1995 while BM patients were treated between 1989 to 1994. Engraftment, measured by the time to reach a peripheral neutrophil count > 500/L and platelet count > 20,000/microL without transfusions, occurred on days 14 and 11 in the patients transplanted with PBSC compared to days 16 and 15 in the patients receiving BM (P = .00063, .00014). The PBSC group required a median of 8 U of red blood cells and 24 U of platelets compared to 17 U of red blood cells and 118 U of platelets for BM transplant recipients (P = .0005, .0001). The estimated risks of developing grades 2 to 4 acute GVHD were 37% for the PBSC group and 56% for the BM group (P = .18), while the estimated risks of grades 3 to 4 acute GVHD were 14% for the PBSC group and 33% for the BM group, P = .05). Chronic GVHD occurred in 7 of 18 evaluable patients receiving PBSC and 6 of 23 evaluable patients receiving BM, P = .5. The estimated risks of transplant-related mortality at 200 days were 27% versus 45% (P = .33) relapse were 70% versus 53% (P = .27) and of overall survival were 50% and 41% (P = .39) for patients transplanted with PBSC or BM, respectively. This retrospective comparison suggests that compared to marrow transplantation from HLA-identical donors, allogeneic PBSC transplantation from HLA-identical donors is associated with faster engraftment, fewer transfusions, and no greater incidence of acute or chronic GVHD.

Between September 1987 and December 1994, 80 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) received high-dose busulfan and cyclophosphamide without (n = 57) or with modified total body irradiation (n = 23) followed by marrow from allogeneic donors. At transplant, 71% of the patients had disease that was refractory to chemotherapy. Thirty-five patients died of transplant-related causes within 100 days and 11 deaths occurred later. The actuarial probabilities of survival and progression-free survival were .24 +/- 0.17 and .20 +/- 0.10 at 4.5 years. Complete remissions were obtained in 36% of patients who had actuarial probabilities of survival and event-free survival of .50 +/- 0.21 and .43 +/- 0.17 at 4.5 years. In a multivariate analysis, adverse risk factors for outcome endpoints included: transplantation greater than 1 year from diagnosis; beta-2 microglobulin > 2.5 at transplant; female patients transplanted from male donors; patients who had received greater than eight cycles of chemotherapy before transplant and Durie stage 3 disease at the time of transplant. These results indicate that allografting for patients with MM can result in long-term disease-free survival for a minority of patients. Efforts to reduce transplant-related mortality should focus on earlier transplantation, less toxic treatment regimens, better supportive care, and improved prevention and treatment of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

Consecutive patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL, n = 133) or Hodgkin's disease (HD, n = 20) were treated with 12.0 Gy of fractionated total body irradiation, etoposide 60 mg/kg, and CY 100 mg/kg followed by infusion of autologous hematopoietic stem cells. Seventy-nine patients received purged (n = 62) or unpurged BM (n = 17), and 74 received unpurged PBSCs alone (n = 56) or with BM (n = 18). The median day for achieving a sustained granulocyte count of 0.5 x 10(9)/I was 14 range (7-66) for BM recipients and 10 (7-30) for PBSC +/- BM recipients (P = 0.03). A platelet count of 20 x 10(9)/I was achieved at a median of day 24 (6-145) in BM recipients and day 11 (range, 7-56) in PBSC +/- BM recipients (P = 0.007). The median number of platelet units transfused was 86 (0-1432) for BM recipients and 30 (6-786) for PBSC +/- BM recipients (P = 0.001). The median number of hospital days was 36 (10-88) for BM recipients and 27 (14-76) for PBSC +/- BM recipients (P = 0.0001). The unadjusted Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimates of survival, event-free survival (EFS) and relapse at 2 years were 0.57, 0.45 and 0.43 for patients receiving BM and 0.55, 0.36 and 0.59 for patients receiving PBSC +/- BM. After adjusting for confounding variables, the estimated relative risk (RR) of death from any cause was 0.92 (P = 0.75), of relapse was 1.25 (P = 0.39), of non-relapse mortality was 0.71 (P = 0.42) and of mortality and/or relapse was 1.17 (P = 0.48) for patients receiving PBSC +/- BM as compared to BM. For 46 patients with NHL receiving unpurged PBSC alone, the unadjusted KM estimate of relapse was 0.61 compared with 0.48 for 52 comparable patients receiving purged BM, while the RR for relapse for patients receiving unpurged PBSCs was 1.37 (P = 0.33) after adjusting for other significant covariates. These data confirm previous observations that patients who receive PBSC +/- BM have faster engraftment, fewer transfusions and shorter hospital stays than patients who receive only BM. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in survival, relapse, death from causes other than relapse and event-free survival.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcome of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who received high-dose therapy followed by autologous bone marrow (BM) or peripheral-blood stem-cell (PBSC) infusion., Patients and Methods: Sixty-three consecutive patients with MM received autologous BM (n = 13) or PBSC with or without BM (n = 50) following regimens that contained busulfan (Bu) and cyclophosphamide (Cy) (n = 18), modified total-body irradiation (TBI) followed by Bu and Cy (n = 36), or Bu, melphalan, and thiotepa (n = 9). Two thirds of the patients had resistant disease and 69% had received more than 6 months of previous chemotherapy., Results and Conclusion: Recovery of peripheral-blood cell counts was more rapid in patients who received PBSC with or without BM than in patients who received BM alone. Sixteen of 63 patients (25%) died of complications of treatment within 100 days. Nineteen (40%) of 48 assessable patients achieved a complete response (CR), 23 (48%) had a partial response (PR), and six (12%) had no response. The probabilities of survival and survival without relapse or progression for all 63 patients at 3.0 years were .43 and .21, respectively. The probability of relapse or progression at 3 years was .69, and 17 patients (27%) have died of progressive MM. The probabilities of survival and relapse-free survival at 3 years for the 19 patients who achieved a CR were .42 and .17, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, beta2-microglobulin levels more than 2.5 micrograms/mL, more than two regimens of prior therapy and eight cycles of treatment, time to transplant longer than 3 years from diagnosis, and prior radiation were associated with adverse outcomes. Additional strategies, such as intervention earlier in the disease course, improved treatment regimens, sequential high-dose treatments, and posttransplant therapies may improve outcome of selected patients with MM.

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of high-dose busulfan (BU) and cyclophosphamide (CY) in patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for metastatic breast cancer. Twenty-two patients with stage IV breast cancer underwent autologous marrow (n = 13), peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) (n = 6) or marrow plus PBSC (n = 3) transplantation following BU (14-16 mg/kg) and CY (120-180 mg/kg). Of 22 patients, 18 had refractory relapse, one had primary refractory disease, two had responding relapse and one had no evidence of disease (NED) at the time of transplant. Eight patients had bone only disease, six had bone plus visceral disease, and eight had loco-regional recurrent disease. The median time for diagnosis to transplant was 1124 days (range 210-2582). Staging for evaluation of response was performed 4-6 months after transplantation. Six patients were not evaluable (NE) for response because of NED at transplant (n = 1) or early death due to transplant-related complications (n = 5) (one of RSV interstitial pneumonia, two of fungal infection and two of regimen-related toxicities) occurring at a median of 17 days (range 14-59) post-transplant. The patient who was NED at time of transplant is still NED on day 336 post-transplant. Seven of the 16 evaluable patients achieved a complete response (CR) (44%), five achieved a partial response (PR) (31%) and five had no response (NR), with an overall response rate of 75%. Five of 18 (28%) patients treated in refractory relapse, and both patients treated in responding relapse achieved a CR. Of the seven patients who achieved CR, three are alive and disease-free on days 204, 276 and 752 and three relapsed on days 209, 715 and 1127 post-transplant. One patient in CR died of aspergillus pneumonia on day 306 post-transplant. The median day to progression in five patients who achieved a PR after transplantation was 335 (range 144-507). The probabilities of survival and event-free survival (EFS) at 2 years was 0.22 and 0.15, respectively for all 22 patients. The probability of EFS at 2 years for the eight patients achieving CR (including one patient who was NED at transplant) was 0.33. The probabilities of overall survival at 2 years in patients who did and did not achieve a CR after transplantation was 0.63 and 0.14, respectively (P = 0.004). These data suggest that high-dose BU-CY followed by autologous stem cell transplantation is an effective regimen in patients with advanced breast cancer demonstrating that BU is an active agent in this disease and could be incorporated into treatment regimens requiring hematopoietic stem cell support.

A previous phase I study determined that the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of busulfan (BU) that could be given with a fixed dose of cyclophosphamide (CY) of 50 mg/kg and total body irradiation (TBI) dose of 12.0 Gy was 7 mg/kg. A phase II study was carried out in patients with advanced myeloid malignancies receiving allogeneic transplants without improvement in outcome as compared to historical controls. In that study, steady-state concentration (Css) of BU in 13 patients receiving a fixed dose of BU varied from 209 to 735 ng/ml. In an attempt to decrease the variability of the Css of BU, a study of targeting specific plasma concentrations was performed. In this study, BU dose was adjusted up or down based on first dose pharmacokinetics. The first dose level evaluated was 7.5 mg/kg with a target BU plasma level of 460 ng/ml. Six patients were entered at this level and the median BU plasma concentration achieved was 410 (range 390-533). One of six patients developed grade 3-4 regimen-related toxicities (RRT). Dose level II was a target of 559 ng/ml with a starting oral dose of BU of 9.6 mg/kg. Twelve patients were entered at this level and median plasma BU level was 548 (range 427-689). Three of 12 (25%) patients developed grade 3-4 RRTs and this was considered to be the MTD. The actuarial probability of grade II-IV acute GVHD was 0.70. Eight of 21 evaluable patients (38%) developed chronic GVHD. Of 18 patients who died, seven died of relapse at a median of 160 days (range 65-353) and 11 (61%) died of causes other than relapse at a median of 152 days (range 18-570). The actuarial probabilities of DFS, relapse and relapse-free mortality at 2 years in all patients were 0.13, 0.50 and 0.75, respectively. This study showed that targeted BU plasma levels within 10% of target can reliably be achieved with a bias of -2.07% and mean absolute error of 7.47%. Overall, targeting made a -31.8% to 100% in plasma BU Css as compared to expected BU Css based on first dose pharmacokinetics if targeting were not performed in this study. Thus targeting avoided much of the variability in BU concentrations seen in other studies. When compared with our previous phase II experience in same group of patients receiving same regimen, dose escalation of BU based on targeted plasma levels did not improve the outcome.

Thalassemia patients can be categorized as class 1 (minimal liver damage and iron overload), class 3 (extensive liver damage from iron overload), and class 2 (intermediate). These categories are prognostic for treatment outcome after marrow transplantation. Class 3 patients have more transplant-related mortality than other patients. This study examines transplantation outcome for class 3 patients. Records were reviewed of 215 patients in class 3 who received transplants in Pesaro from HLA-identical related donors between May 1, 1984 and May 1, 1994. The influence of pretransplant, peritransplant, and posttransplant variables on survival, relapse, and transplant-related mortality was examined by product-limit and proportional-hazards multivariate analysis. Age and conditioning regimen were influential on survival, and regimens with less than 200 mg/kg cyclosporine (CY) were associated with 5-year survival probabilities of .74 and .63 patients younger than 17 years and older patients, respectively. Transfusion history and regimen were influential on rejection with 5 year probabilities of .53 and .24 in patients who received less than or greater than 100 red blood cell transfusions before transplantation and regimens containing less than 200 mg/kg CY. Results of transplantation for patients with advanced thalassemia treatment have improved with the introduction of conditioning regimens with less CY. This has been associated with an increase in rejection (particularly in patients who have received < 100 red blood cell transfusions before transplant). Efforts at reducing the rejection rate by modifying the conditioning regimen should be concentrated on younger patients who have received a small number of transfusions. Patients with thalassemia who have HLA-identical family members should be transplanted before they are in class 3.

From 1990 to 1993 we performed a prospective study of busulfan (16 mg/kg) and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg) in 30 patients with refractory anemia (RA) undergoing related (n = 17) or unrelated (n = 13) donor marrow transplantation. Nineteen patients survive disease free (63% 3-year actuarial disease-free survival [DFS]) and no patient relapsed. These results were compared to those of 38 historical controls with RA treated with cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation, of whom 22 are disease-free survivors and 1 relapsed. After correcting for significant variables between the two treatment groups, we found no statistically significant difference in outcome based on preparative regimen. Combining data from these 68 patients plus 2 additional patients with RA treated before 1993 with busulfan and cyclophosphamide, we identified four variables independently associated with improved survival: younger age, shorter disease duration, lower neutrophil count pretransplant, and lower hematocrit pretransplant. We also found that 15 patients 40 to 55 years of age had a 46% 3-year actuarial DFS and 26 patients receiving unrelated or mismatched related donor marrow had a 50% 3-year actuarial DFS. We conclude that there does not appear to be any significant difference in outcome based on preparative regimen in this patient population. In addition, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation may be a reasonable approach to therapy of RA early after diagnosis. However, whether early intervention with transplantation prolongs survival over that expected without transplantation cannot be ascertained with certainty from available data.

Purpose: To determine if an intensive preparative regimen of busulfan (BU), cyclophosphamide (CY), and total-body irradiation (TBI) could improve outcome after marrow transplantation for advanced morphology myelodysplasia (refractory anemia with excess blasts [RAEB], RAEB in transformation [RAEB-T], and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia [CMML]) compared with that obtained with conventional CY/TBI and to analyze prognostic factors for transplantation for myelodysplasia., Patients and Methods: A phase II study was conducted of 31 patients (median age, 41 years) treated with BU (7 mg/kg), CY (50 mg/kg), TBI (12 Gy), and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched (n = 23) or -mismatched (n = 2) related or unrelated donor (n = 6) marrow transplantation. Results were compared with 44 historical control patients treated with CY (120 mg/kg) and TBI., Results: The 3-year actuarial disease-free survival (DFS) rate was similar for the BU/CY/TBI group and the CY/TBI group (23% v 30%, P = .6), but there were trends toward lower relapse rates (28% v 54%, P = .27) and higher nonrelapse mortality rates (68% v 36%, P = .12) among the current patients compared with historical controls. Multivariate analysis showed that a normal karyotype pretransplant and the use of methotrexate as part of posttransplant immunosuppression were associated with improved survival and reduced nonrelapse mortality. Univariate analysis showed significant differences in relapse rates based on marrow source (57% for HLA genotypically matched marrow v 18% for all others, P = .04) and on disease morphology (66% for RAEB-T v 38% for RAEB and CMML, P = .05)., Conclusion: Patients with advanced morphology myelodysplasia tolerated the intensified BU/CY/TBI preparative regimen and reduced posttransplant immunosuppression poorly. Novel transplant procedures are needed to reduce relapse rates without increasing nonrelapse mortality rates. In addition, transplantation before progression to RAEB-T, if possible, may reduce the risk of relapse.

A retrospective study compared posttransplant engraftment parameters in 203 patients with myelofibrosis (MF) with those in a population of 203 matched controls without MF. There were no significant differences between these groups in the proportions of patients who died without achieving engraftment and in the disease-free survival distributions. Furthermore, comparisons between the two groups of patients reaching the respective endpoints showed no differences in the time distributions for reaching 0.5 or 1.0 x 10(9)/L granulocytes, but the time to platelet transfusion independence was 3 days longer in patients with MF. In further analysis, results for 33 patients with severe MF were compared with those of their respective controls. The proportions of patients with severe MF who died without reaching these engraftment endpoints and the disease-free survival distributions in the two groups were similar. Among patients who reached the respective engraftment endpoints, there was no statistically significant difference in the pace of granulocyte recovery. In patients with severe MF, there was a 7-day delay in the time to reach platelet transfusion independence and a 2-day delay in the time to reach red blood cell independence, but the differences were not statistically significant. The present results do not substantiate concerns raised by earlier studies. MF may delay the time to reach platelet independence by approximately 3 days and may increase platelet transfusion requirements, but no other perturbation of hematopoietic reconstitution was apparent.

The present study was performed as a retrospective analysis of the role of pretransplant splenectomy to determine the incidence of late bacterial infections, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), relapse, and survival among 358 patients receiving HLA-identical marrow grafts for chronic myelogenous leukemia. Sixty-eight (19%) of the 358 patients had undergone splenectomy before transplantation. There was a trend towards more grade II-IV acute GVHD among splenectomized patients, but this was not significant in the multivariate analysis. The incidence of chronic GVHD was similar for splenectomized and nonsplenectomized patients. Late infectious complications did not significantly differ between splenectomized and control patients (rates per patient year were 0.16 and 0.14, respectively). The overall risk of leukemic relapse was significantly increased for splenectomized patients (56% v 32% for controls, P = .001) and control patients with splenomegaly (P < .0001). Splenectomy and splenomegaly remained significant and independent hazards for relapse in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.82, P = .029; and HR, 1.49, P = .002; respectively). Relapse was also increased in patients with advanced disease (HR, 2.95; P = .0001), in patients with T-cell-depleted marrow (HR, 4.51; P = .0001), and in the female donor and male recipient combination (HR, 1.74; P = .044). Patients with splenectomy had an increased overall mortality (HR, 1.18), but this was not statistically significant in the multivariate analysis. In summary, our study showed no significant influence of splenectomy on late posttransplant infections, acute or chronic GVHD, or overall survival. There was no evidence that splenectomy decreased recurrence of chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Based on our understanding of CML, we recommend that patients age 65 or less with newly diagnosed CML should be evaluated to determine the stage of their disease and should be human lymphocyte antigen-typed along with their siblings. Patients age 55 years and younger who have matched or single antigen mismatched siblings should be advised to undergo BMT as soon as possible and patients up to age 65 should be considered for BMT early in their disease course if in good health. Patients age 55 years or younger without appropriately matched family member donors should have a search for an unrelated donor initiated and should be offered BMT if an appropriate donor is found. Patients for whom no donor is found and older patients without family matches can be considered for entry onto clinical trials evaluating autologous BMT or other experimental approaches.

We studied 346 patients after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) for the presence of the bcr-abl transcript detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to understand the frequency and implication of a positive test. A total of 634 samples of BM and/or peripheral blood were obtained for PCR analysis between 3 and 192 months after BMT. A positive PCR test at 3 months post-BMT was not statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of relapse compared with PCR-negative patients. However, a positive PCR assay at 6 months and beyond was highly associated with subsequent relapse. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of relapse for patients testing PCR-positive at 6 to 12 months was 42% versus 3% for PCR-negative patients (P < .0001). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of survival at 4 years for the PCR-positive patients was 74% compared with 83% for the PCR-negative group (P = .002). Multivariable analysis indicated that a PCR-positive result at 6 to 12 months post-BMT, the type of BMT donor (allogeneic matched donor v mismatched or unrelated), and the presence of acute GVHD were independent risk factors for subsequent relapse. The relative risk (RR) for relapse for patients PCR-positive at 6 to 12 months post-BMT was 26.1 (95% confidence interval, 8.9 to 76.1, P < .0001). The outcome of long-term patients (> 36 months post-BMT) who tested PCR-positive was much better, as 15 of 59 (25%) tested positive for bcr-abl, but only one patient relapsed. There was a 91% concordance between PCR tests of simultaneously obtained BM and peripheral blood. These analyses show that the PCR assay of the bcr-abl fusion transcript 6 to 12 months post-BMT is an independent predictor of subsequent relapse which provides an opportunity for early therapeutic intervention.

Purpose: To evaluate a high-dose chemotherapy regimen without total-body irradiation (TBI) followed by allogeneic (allo) bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in patients with lymphoid malignancies who had received prior dose-limiting radiotherapy., Patients and Methods: Fifty-six patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL, n = 26), Hodgkin's disease (HD, n = 17), or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, n = 13) with a history of previous radiation therapy were treated with cyclophosphamide (7.2 g/m2), carmustine (300 mg/m2 or 600 mg/m2), and etoposide (2,400 mg/m2; CBV) followed by allo BMT., Results: Nine of 56 patients are alive and disease-free a median of 1,091 (range, 512 to 1,784) days post-transplant. The probabilities of transplant-related mortality, relapse, and event-free survival at 2 years for the entire group of 56 patients were .62, .59, and .17, respectively. Patients who received 600 mg/m2 of carmustine had a higher incidence of grade 3 or 4 regimen-related toxicities (RRTs) (14 of 22) than did patients who received 300 mg/m2 (12 of 33; P < .04), whereas there was no difference in relapse (.34 and .53, respectively, P = .73). Fourteen of 16 patients who received allo BMT for advanced disease (n = 12) or less-advanced disease (n = 4) but who were also eligible for auto BMT relapsed (n = 4) or died of transplant-related complications (n = 10)., Conclusions: Allo BMT following a high-dose CBV regimen resulted in long-term disease-free survival in 17% of patients with lymphoid malignancies who had received prior dose-limiting radiotherapy. A high incidence of transplant-related complications, especially fatal idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS) and a high relapse rate limited success. Morbidity and mortality associated with carmustine 600 mg/m2 were high and were not associated with a decrease in relapse. The number of patients in this study eligible for either allo or auto BMT was limited and precluded meaningful analysis of relative effectiveness.

A previous phase I dose escalation study determined that the maximum tolerated doses of busulfan and cyclophosphamide that could be combined with 12.0 Gy of total body irradiation were 7 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, respectively. A phase II study of these three agents was carried out in 56 patients with advanced myeloid malignancies receiving allogeneic bone marrow transplants from HLA-identical donors. Cyclosporine with methotrexate or with prednisone was administered for prophylaxis against graft-versus-host disease. Grade 3 (n = 8) and 4 (n = 3) regimen-related toxicity occurred in 20% of patients, which was the maximum predicted from the phase I study. The 2-year actuarial probabilities of non-relapse mortality and relapse were 0.52 and 0.55, respectively. Fourteen patients survive, 12 in remission, 581-1761 days post-transplant. The actuarial probabilities of disease-free survival for patients with recurrent acute myeloid leukemia and advanced chronic myeloid leukemia at 2 years were 20% and 23%, respectively. When compared with our historical experience in patients receiving other treatment regimens, there was no apparent improvement in disease-free survival.

The records were reviewed of 58 patients receiving transplants in Seattle with unmanipulated marrow from HLA-identical siblings during the accelerated phase (AP) of chronic myeloid leukemia. Variables examined for association with survival and relapse included the interval from diagnosis to transplant, the reasons for categorization as AP, age, regimen, and cytomegalovirus serology. Four patients relapsed. The 4-year probabilities of survival, relapse-free survival, nonrelapse mortality, and relapse were 0.49, 0.43, 0.51, and 0.12, respectively. After completion of the stepwise multivariate analysis, age less than 38 years and categorization as AP solely on the basis of chromosomal abnormalities emerged as being independently significantly associated with improved survival. The 4-year probability of survival for the 16 patients categorized as AP because of chromosomal abnormalities and receiving transplant less than 1 year from diagnosis was 0.74. The low probability of relapse in these patients suggests that more aggressive preparative regimens are not indicated for patients receiving transplants in AP because of the increased risk of transplant-related mortality.

Between November 1978 and September 1988, 184 patients with acute myeloid leukemia in first remission received marrow transplants from HLA-identical siblings after conditioning with 120 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide and 12.0 Gy fractionated total body irradiation. Patients received either cyclosporine (CYA, n = 59), methotrexate (MTX, n = 82), or MTX + CYA (n = 43 as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. The probabilities of grades II-IV acute GVHD after CYA, MTX or MTX+CYA were 0.43, 0.48 and 0.28, respectively (p = 0.06). The probability of non-relapse mortality was 0.53, 0.50 and 0.42 at 4 years in patients treated with CYA, MTX, or MTX + CYA, respectively. The probability of relapse was 0.24 in patients receiving CYA, 0.24 in patients receiving MTX and 0.44 in patients receiving MTX + CYA (p = 0.02). The probability of survival at 4 years was 0.54 with CYA, 0.51 with MTX and 0.45 with MTX + CYA. A multivariate analysis of risk factors for relapse examined age, WBC at diagnosis, blast count at diagnosis, percentage of marrow blasts, FAB subtype, the number of remission induction courses to achieve a remission, maintenance therapy, consolidation therapy, marrow cell dose, donor-recipient sex, GVHD prophylaxis regimen and isolation and decontamination in laminar airflow rooms. GVHD prophylaxis with MTX + CYA was independently significantly associated with an increased risk of relapse (relative risk 2.25, p = 0.01). Acute GVHD was associated with increased non-relapse mortality (RR = 3.58, p < 0.0001). The administration of MTX + CYA did not adversely affect survival because patients receiving this regimen experienced less mortality from causes other than relapse when compared with patients receiving either CYA or MTX alone.

A prospective randomized study was conducted comparing two conditioning regimens for the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase by marrow transplantation from HLA identical siblings. Sixty-nine patients received 60 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide on each of 2 successive days followed by 6 fractions of total body irradiation each of 2.0 Gy (CY-TBI), and 73 patients received 16 mg/kg of busulfan delivered over 4 days followed by 60 mg/kg CY on each of 2 successive days (BU-CY). There was no significant difference between the CY-TBI and the BU-CY groups in the 3-year probabilities of survival (0.80 for both), relapse (0.13 for both), or event-free survival (CY-TBI, 0.68; BU-CY, 0.71) or in speed of engraftment or incidence of venocclusive disease of the liver. The 4-year probabilities of survival and event-free survival for patients transplanted within 1 year of diagnosis were 0.86 and 0.72, respectively, for each group. Significantly more patients in the CY-TBI group experienced major creatinine elevations. There was significantly more acute graft-versus-host disease in the CY-TBI group. Fever days, positive blood cultures, hospitalizations, and inpatient hospital days were significantly more common in the CY-TBI group than in the BU-CY group. In conclusion, the BU-CY regimen was better tolerated than, and associated with survival and relapse probabilities that compare favorably with, the CY-TBI regimen.

Graft rejection has been a problem after marrow grafts for patients with aplastic anemia who were conditioned with cyclophosphamide (CY). Rejection lessened when patients were given the marrow donor's peripheral blood buffy-coat cells in addition to the marrow, but this result was achieved at the price of more chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Results with second transplants suggested that CY alternating with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) was more immunosuppressive than CY alone. Therefore, the current study explored CY and ATG without buffy-coat cell transfusions in 39 patients with aplastic anemia given marrow transplants from HLA-identical family members (siblings in 38 cases, father in 1 case). We hoped both to minimize the risks of graft rejection and of chronic GVHD and to improve survival. Patients were 2 to 52 years of age (median, 24.5); 87% had received previous transfusions, and 41% had therapy with immunosuppressive agents before transplant. They were administered four daily doses of CY (total, 200 mg/kg) alternating with three doses of ATG (total, 90 mg/kg) followed by an HLA-identical marrow graft. Methotrexate and cyclosporine were administered to prevent GVHD. Two patients rejected their grafts (5%), and both were successfully retransplanted. Acute (grade 2 or 3) GVHD occurred in 15% and chronic GVHD in 34% of patients. The actuarial survival rate at 3 years was 92%, which compares favorably to the 72% survival rate in 39 historical patients who were matched with current patients for age and risk factors for rejection and GVHD. CY/ATG is a well-tolerated and effective conditioning program for marrow grafting in aplastic anemia that, when combined with GVHD prevention by methotrexate/cyclosporine, results in excellent survival.

It is now possible to access more than 1 million HLA-A, B typed volunteers willing to donate marrow. A preliminary search through the U.S. NMDP provides direct computerized access to the HLA-A, B, DR phenotypes of more than 186,000 registered donors. Fifty-one percent of preliminary searches yield at least one HLA-A, B, DR match, but a disproportional number of successful searches benefit primarily patients of Caucasian origin. Substantially greater recruitment among different racial and ethnic groups must occur if non-Caucasians are to have a better chance of finding an HLA-matched donor. Improved cooperation between registries and transplant networks in different countries remains an important goal. The optimal application of URD transplants may not be possible until an efficient and reliable worldwide marrow donor program has been established. DNA typing and matching for HLA alleles improves the timeliness of the donor search process and the precision of donor selection. HLA mismatching increases the probability and severity of GVHD, but minor mismatches for one HLA-A, B, or D/DRB1 locus does not appear to decrease survival. Although the risk of GVHD in URD transplants remains high and survival currently is not as favorable as HLA identical sibling transplants, better supportive care and GVHD control are providing a gradual improvement in the long-term disease-free survival of URD transplants.

This study evaluated the effect of pentoxifylline (PTX) on the incidence of regimen-related toxicity in patients receiving allogeneic marrow transplants from related donors. All patients received a regimen of methotrexate and cyclosporine as prophylaxis against acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Patients were randomized to receive PTX or a placebo for 70 days and the outcome was examined in a blinded fashion. Forty-four patients were evaluate in each study arm. PTX had no significant effect on engraftment, the incidence of GVHD, venocclusive disease of the liver, infection, the need for oxygen, posttransplant survival, or the duration of hospitalization. Patients receiving PTX were significantly more likely to develop major elevations of serum creatinine levels. PTX was poorly tolerated and induced significantly more vomiting than the placebo. PTX as administered in this randomized study was associated with significant toxicity and offered no benefit in reducing transplant-related morbidity or mortality.

Purpose: To evaluate high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in patients with lymphoid malignancy who had received prior radiation therapy., Patients and Methods: Fifty-seven patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL; n = 23), Hodgkin's disease (HD, n = 32), or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; n = 2) with a history of previous radiation therapy were treated with cyclophosphamide (Cy; 7.2 g/m2), carmustine (300 mg/m2 or 600 mg/m2), and etoposide (2,400 mg/m2) (CBV) followed by ABMT., Results: The projected 2-year probabilities of survival, event-free survival (EFS), and relapse were .31, .24, and .76, respectively. For patients with intermediate- and high-grade lymphoma and HD the probabilities were .27, .10, and .14 for EFS and .57, .90, and .77 for relapse. The probability of nonrelapse mortality in the first 100 days post-ABMT was 33%. Idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS) was observed in no patients who received carmustine 300 mg/m2 and 23% of patients who received carmustine 600 mg/m2 (P = .05). Eight-three percent of patients who received mediastinal radiation therapy less than 3 months before transplant developed IPS, compared with 13% who received radiation therapy more than 3 months before transplant (P = .001)., Conclusion: ABMT following high-dose CBV resulted in long-term disease-free survival in 25% of patients with lymphoid malignancies who had previously received dose-limiting radiation therapy. Fatal IPS and a high relapse rate were major factors limiting successful outcome following ABMT. The morbidity and mortality rates associated with the administration of carmustine 600 mg/m2 were prohibitively high, especially in patients who received mediastinal radiation immediately before ABMT, and were not associated with a decrease in post-ABMT relapse.

Purpose: This study compares outcomes of autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in untreated first relapse (REL1) or in second complete remission (REM2)., Patients and Methods: Forty-seven patients with AML in REL1 (n = 21) or in REM2 (n = 26) were treated with busulfan (BU) and cyclophosphamide (CY) with or without total-body irradiation (TBI) followed by ABMT. All REL1 patients and four REM2 patients had marrow stored during first remission (REM1). Twenty-seven had marrow stored with and 20 without treatment in vitro with 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC). Eighteen patients received BU and CY and 29 received BU, CY, and TBI. REL1 patients relapsed within a median of 9 months (range, 2 to 26) after marrow harvest and were transplanted a median of 30 days (range, 9 to 87) from detection of relapse., Results: With a median follow-up of 2.1 years (range, 0.4 to 5.3), 19 patients survive in remission (10 of 21 in REL1; nine of 26 in REM2). The actuarial probabilities of relapse-free survival at 2 years for patients transplanted in REL1 and REM2 were 45% +/- 22% and 32% +/- 18%, respectively (P = .33). The corresponding probabilities of relapse were 30% +/- 26% and 44% +/- 23%, respectively (P = .45). No conclusions could be drawn about the benefits of adding TBI to BU plus CY. There were no significant differences in neutrophil or platelet recovery or in posttransplant probabilities of relapse and nonrelapse mortality between patients who received marrow treated or not treated with 4-HC., Conclusion: These results suggest that ABMT may produce long-term leukemia-free survival in approximately one third of patients with AML in REL1 or in REM2. There is no apparent clinical advantage in attempting to obtain second remissions in relapsed patients before ABMT if marrow has been cryopreserved during REM1. Although a strategy of transplantation in REL1 has advantages for the patient, such an approach involves the storage of marrow, which may not be used, and is impractical without the coordinated support of the treating physician, the patient, and the marrow transplant center.

Ninety-eight patients with AML had marrow harvested and cryopreserved at a median of 6 months (range 1-36 months) after achieving first CR with the intent of performing an ABMT at the first sign of relapse. Thirty-three of the 98 patients have not relapsed and 32 survive at a median of 64 months (range 10-105 months) after marrow storage. Sixty-five of the 98 patients relapsed at a median of 7 months (range 1-53 months) after marrow storage. The survival at 2 and 4 years for the 65 patients who relapsed was 22% and 8% respectively. Sixteen of 24 patients treated initially with chemotherapy were ultimately transplanted and two are surviving 21 and 41 months following ABMT and allogeneic marrow transplant respectively. There were no survivors among the eight patients treated with chemotherapy who were not transplanted. Thirty-eight of the 65 patients who relapsed proceeded directly to ABMT without attempts at remission induction, and eight survive disease-free 15-114 months following ABMT. One of the first 17 patients treated with cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation survives without relapse. The probabilities of relapse-free survival, non-relapse mortality, and relapse for the 17 most recent patients prepared with busulfan-containing regimens were 41%, 39% and 32% respectively. Surviving patients had longer first remissions (p = 0.08) and lower peripheral blood blast counts at the time of transplant (p = 0.02) when compared with patients who died. These data suggest that ABMT in untreated first relapse is a reasonable approach for the treatment of patients with AML who relapse.

Objective: To determine the incidence and clinical course of veno-occlusive disease of the liver (VOD) after bone marrow transplantation and to analyze risk factors for severe VOD., Design: Cohort study of 355 consecutive patients., Setting: A bone marrow transplantation center., Measurements: Each patient was prospectively evaluated for VOD, and many risk factors for severe VOD were analyzed using logistic regression models. The relation of VOD to renal and cardiopulmonary failure was analyzed using time-dependent proportional hazards models., Results: Veno-occlusive disease developed in 190 of 355 patients (54%; 95% CI, 48% to 59%): Fifty-four patients had severe VOD and 136 had mild or moderate VOD. Independent variables derived from a multivariate model for predicting severe VOD included elevated transaminase values before transplantation (relative risk, 4.6; P < 0.0001); vancomycin therapy during cytoreductive therapy (relative risk, 2.9; P = 0.003); cytoreductive therapy with a high-dose regimen (relative risk, 2.8; P = 0.01); acyclovir therapy before transplantation (relative risk, 4.8; P = 0.02); mismatched or unrelated donor marrow (relative risk, 2.4; P = 0.02); and previous radiation therapy to the abdomen (relative risk, 2.2; P = 0.04). Vancomycin therapy was a marker for persistent fever. Multiorgan failure was more frequent among patients with VOD and usually followed the onset of liver disease., Conclusions: Veno-occlusive disease, which developed in 54% of bone marrow transplant recipients, is frequently associated with renal and cardiopulmonary failure. Pretransplant transaminase elevations, use of high-dose cytoreductive therapy, and persistent fever during cytoreductive therapy are independent predictors of severe VOD.

Purpose: The purpose of this report was to review the Seattle experience in bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during untreated first relapse., Patients and Methods: Through 1990, 126 patients were transplanted during untreated first relapse of AML. Several preparative regimens were used, two of which involved more than 20 patients. Regimen 1 (29 patients) consisted of cyclophosphamide (CY) 120 mg/kg and 15.75 Gy of fractionated total-body irradiation (TBI) with methotrexate (MTX) given intermittently during a 102-day period to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Regimen 2 (22 patients) consisted of the same CY and TBI treatment and a combination of MTX and cyclosporine (CSP) for GVHD prophylaxis. The remaining 75 patients were treated with 17 other transplant regimens. Outcome was compared for patients who were treated with regimen 1, regimen 2, and any other regimen., Results: The 5-year probabilities of relapse-free survival (RFS), relapse, and nonrelapse mortality for 126 patients were .23, .57, and .44, respectively. With regimen 1, relapse (.26) was significantly less than for regimen 2 (.70; P = .004) or any other regimen (.76; P = .004). Regimen 1 patients developed more acute GVHD (.67) than regimen 2 patients (.26; P = .02) or patients on other regimens (.41; P = .02), and had increased nonrelapse mortality. Nevertheless, regimen 1 patients had a significantly higher 3-year RFS (.38) than those treated with regimen 2 (.18; P = .04) or any other regimen (.20; P = .05)., Conclusions: For patients who received 120 mg/kg CY and 15.75 Gy TBI, relapse incidence was less and survival was better after GVHD prophylaxis with MTX alone than after a combination of MTX and CSP, despite a significantly higher incidence of acute GVHD. The results of treatment with regimen 1 justify future studies of the optimal timing of allogeneic BMT in the treatment of patients with AML.

Ten normal marrow donors, two children and eight adults, received 9-22 daily subcutaneous doses (100 units/kg) of recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-Epo) and oral iron prior to marrow harvesting. The two children did not have autologous blood stored prior to marrow harvesting while all eight adults did. Except for a mild skin rash at the sites of injection in three cases and transient headaches in a further three, no side effects were observed. The effects of rh-Epo on preoperative and postoperative hematocrits were evaluated and compared with those of control donors matched for age, sex, weight and blood loss. Initial hematocrits were assigned a value of 100%. The mean percentage increase between the initial hematocrit and the preoperative hematocrit in the rh-Epo group was 16% compared with a decrement of 4% in the control group (p = 0.0001). The mean % decrement between the initial hematocrit and the postoperative hematocrit was 4% for the rh-Epo group and 26% for the control group (p = 0.0003). It was concluded from this study that rh-Epo could be given safely to normal marrow donors with a significant increase in hematocrit occurring in the 2-3 weeks prior to marrow harvesting. This approach should be explored further, especially in children, for whom storage of autologous blood is not routinely performed.