Haemopoietic reconstitution after autologous blood stem cell transplantation in patients with malignancies: a multicentre retrospective study

Abstract

A retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of autologous blood stem cell transplantation (ABSCT) in terms of haemopoietic reconstitution after ablative chemotherapy or chemo‐radiotherapy. 55 patients with malignancies, observed in four Italian institutions from January 1987 to June 1991, were eligible for evaluation. This series included 19 non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, 11 multiple myeloma, nine ovarian cancer, seven Hodgkin's disease, seven non‐lymphocytic leukaemia, one acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, one neuroblastoma. 522 PBSC collections were performed on 55 patients. Following ABSCT, the rate of engraftment was positively related to the dose of CFU‐GM infused and negatively to the presence of bone marrow involvement at conditioning. 48 patients out of 55 transplanted (87%) had rapid, complete and sustained engraftment. Three patients (5%) died of transplant‐related complications. Considering that 60% of the patients in this series were in partial remission or in progressive disease at the time of ABSCT, we conclude that ABSCT is a safe approach for the use of ablative conditioning therapy in patients with a wide scope of malignancies, provided that a large number of CFU‐GM have been collected after mobilizing treatment.