Feasibility of peripheral blood stem cell rescue as intensification in elderly patients with acute myelocytic leukaemia: a pilot study from the Gimema Group. Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche Maligne Dell'Adulto.
Elderly patients with untreated acute myeloid leukaemia (AML, n = 47) tested the feasibility of out-patient consolidation therapy and post-consolidation treatment (for patients aged < 71 years) with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT). Overall, 13 patients out of 24 (51%) who achieved complete remission (CR) were eligible for further treatment after consolidation. Five patients were primed with granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF); a suitable number of CD34+ cells were harvested in three patients and were actually autotransplanted. The toxicity of APBSCT was negligible. Psychosocial problems impaired treatment of some patients on an out-patient basis. Resistant disease, toxicity and logistic problems reduced the number of patients to whom this procedure could actually be applied.
Montillo
M
M
Divisione di Ematologia, Ospedale Niguarda Cà Granda, Milan, Italy. m.montillo@tiscalinet.it
Tedeschi
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A
Pagano
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L
Venditti
A
A
Ferrara
F
F
Fabris
P
P
Martino
B
B
Musso
M
M
De Rosa
G
G
Specchia
G
G
Monaco
M
M
Sparaventi
G
G
Spadea
A
A
Palmas
A
A
Deplano
W
W
Manna
A
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Melillo
L
L
Miraglia
E
E
Mirto
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S
Mandelli
F
F
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012074:Remission Induction; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor