[Superhigh-dosage chemotherapy with the transplantation of autologous hemopoietic precursor cells in patients with a prognostically unfavorable relapse and resistant course of lymphogranulomatosis].

Eighteen patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's disease (HD) have been treated with high-dose chemotherapy (BEAM regimen) followed by autologous peripheral stem cells and/or bone marrow rescue. There were no treatment-related deaths. Overall response rate was 82%. With a median follow-up of 10 months (3-24 months) overall survival and freedom from progression were 100 and 94% (95% confidence interval 58-97%), respectively. The use of peripheral stem cells in addition to bone marrow resulted in a significant shortening of the time to engraftment (p < 0.01). The BEAM regimen is an effective conditioning schedule which is well tolerated.