Autologous bone marrow transplantation for haematological malignancies--experiences of the centre of Zagreb.

From April 1988 to May 1993, 71 patients (32 acute myelogenous leukaemia [AML], 24 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia [ALL], 7 Hodgkin's disease [HD], 5 non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL], 2 neuroblastoma, 1 chronic myelogenous leukaemia [CML]) were treated with myeloablative therapy followed by reinfusion of cryopreserved autologous bone marrow (ABMT). The majority of patients with acute leukaemia were in first complete remission (CR), while 11 AML patients and 9 ALL patients were in advanced stage of the disease (> I CR or relapse). The BM was reinfused without purging. The conditioning regimen for all ALL and proportion of AML patients consisted of cyclophosphamide (CY) 120 mg/kg and fractionated total body irradiation (TB) in a total dose of 12 Gy. 18 AML patients received busulfan 16 mg/kg instead of TBI. Leukaemia-free survival (LFS) for first CR AML patients was 48% at 43 months with the median follow-up of 17 months. Probability of relapse was 44%. LFS for advanced AML was only 9% and the probability of relapse 89%. LFS for first CR ALL patients was 72% at 53 months with the median follow-up of 15 months, while probability of relapse was only 23%. For advanced ALL, LFS was 32% at 33 months and probability of relapse 64%. Probability of toxic death for first CR patients was 11%. We found a predictive value of viability testing and in vitro CFU-GM assay for haematologic recovery after ABMT. We conclude that ABMT with cryopreserved BM is a relatively safe method for consolidation therapy of AL. The results of treatment are encouraging.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)