title: Role of tumor cells contaminating the graft in breast cancer recurrence after high-dose chemotherapy.
abstract: One of the possible drawbacks to autologous stem cell transplantation in breast cancer (BC) patients is the potential for tumor contamination in the transplanted product. We present a patient with advanced disease who received high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and PBPC support as consolidation therapy after achieving complete remission with standard-dose first-line treatment, and suffered recurrence of the disease 6 months after transplantation. Retrospective analysis revealed the presence of contaminating cells in the leukapheretic product, and clinical evidence suggested a role for these cells in the tumor relapse.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Rehabilitation Institute of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pedrazzoli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Da Prada
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuomo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertolini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pavesi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Robustelli della Cuna
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000556:secondary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000009:adverse effects*