title: [Autologous bone marrow transplantation in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma--report of 2 cases].
abstract: Two patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) were treated with "marrow-lethal" chemoradiotherapy and infusion of cryopreserved autologous marrow. Patient AUT 04 (unique patient number), a 28-year-old male, was referred to us because of the right cervical lymphadenopathy. He was diagnosed NPC at stage II (T1N2M0). A trial of combined-modality therapy using autologous bone marrow transplantation (auto-BMT) was scheduled for possible cure. Before auto-BMT, he was treated with a conventional dose of radiation to the nasopharyngeal and bilateral cervical areas. For the pretransplant marrow-lethal therapy, he received high-dose cyclophosphamide (CY), 120mg/kg, and 1,000 rad total body irradiation (TBI). Within 24 hr after TBI, previously cryopreserved-thawed autologous bone marrow cells (1.37 X 10(8)/kg) was infused to the patient. Rapid and complete hematologic recovery was observed and he is now alive in a disease-free remission state 28 months after transplantation. Patient AUT 08, a 18-year-old female, was referred to us for the treatment of head and neck tumor with auto-BMT. She was diagnosed NPC at stage IV (T4N2M0). After cryopreservation of bone marrow, she was treated with local radiation and doxorubicin (80mg X 2d). Then she was conditioned with high-dose CY and upper half body irradiation and received auto-BMT (marrow dose: 1.2 X 10(7)/kg). Successful engraftment was obtained with tumor response but she developed recurrence of the disease 12 months after transplantation. Although the data are too preliminary, auto-BMT is evaluated as one of the favorable treatment approaches for some selected patients with NPC.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*