title: The role of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in hematologic malignancy.
abstract: Supraintensive cytoreductive therapy with hematopoietic stem cell rescue (HSCR) is able to provide curative therapy in a number of hematologic malignancies. Allogeneic HSCR is limited to less than 50% of patients because of the absence of related or unrelated compatible donors. Autologous HSCR is a viable alternative to allogeneic HSCR and is applicable to a greater number of patients. In addition, because of the absence of graft-versus-host disease, it is applicable to older patients. Although the relapse of malignancy is higher following autologous compared with allogeneic marrow, the disease-free survival for autologous HSCR is often equal to or greater than that seen following allogeneic HSCR. A number of posttransplantation immunological based therapies have shown promise for further decreasing the relapse rate following autologous HSCR.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000628:therapy; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000628:therapy; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000628:therapy; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous