BEAM autografting in lymphoma--experience at one centre

• Published in: Leukemia & lymphoma Vol. 7 Suppl; p. 23
• Main Authors: Smith, A G, Long, S G, Janmohammed, R M, Macdonald, D F, Leyland, M J, Milligan, D W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 1992
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Carmustine - adverse effects; Carmustine - therapeutic use; Combined Modality Therapy; Cytarabine - adverse effects; Cytarabine - therapeutic use; Etoposide - adverse effects; Etoposide - therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Lymphoma - mortality; Lymphoma - therapy; Male; Melphalan - adverse effects; Melphalan - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; Survival Rate; Transplantation, Autologous
• ISSN: 1042-8194
• DOI: 10.3109/10428199209061560

Since December 1987, we have examined the use of high-dose chemotherapy and unpurged bone marrow rescue in 31 patients with advanced or refractory lymphoma. Twenty-one patients had Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 10 had Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). At ABMT, 22 patients had relapsed or resistant disease. All patients, excluding 3 early deaths, engrafted. There was no relationship between cell numbers harvested, CFU-GM and bone marrow recovery. The mean times to 0.5 x 10(9)/l neutrophils and 50 x 10(9)/l platelets were 20 d and 43 d respectively. However, 5 patients with HD had a significantly slower platelet recovery time of up to 203 days (p = 0.05). Disease-free survival was 72% for HD and 40% for NHL at 40 months. Relapsed or refractory disease at ABMT, bulky disease, extensive salvage therapy and Karnofsky scores below 80% were all associated with a poorer outcome. The most striking observation has been the dramatic radiological response of some patients with advanced/refractory disease.