Simplification of the blood stem cell transplantation (BSCT) procedure: large volume apheresis and uncontrolled rate cryopreservation at -80 degrees C.

Very high-dose chemotherapy with autologous blood stem cell (BSC) rescue becomes more and more widely performed. In order to simplify the technique, a large volume apheresis programme combined with an uncontrolled rate cryopreservation at -80 degrees C was developed. Twenty-six patients suffering from multiple myeloma (n = 8), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 7), dysgerminoma (n = 4), breast cancer (n = 3), Hodgkin's disease (n = 2), acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (n = 1) and acute myelocytic leukaemia (n = 1) were autografted after a classical high-dose chemotherapy regimen. A single large volume apheresis was sufficient to obtain the threshold value of CD34+ BSC in 24/26 transplantations. The haematological recovery was favourably comparable with the previously published data obtained with controlled rate frozen BSC: median time to granulocytes > 1000/microL and to a self-supporting platelet count > 20,000/microL, respectively, 10.5 and 12 d. The treatment-related mortality was confined to 1/26 BSCT. These results indicate that this easy and cost-saving policy of BSCT is efficacious and safe: sustained long-term haematopoiesis, reduced morbidity and mortality were observed.