title: Remission inversion and no transplant-related mortality--a single centre experience of autologous stem cell transplantation in malignant lymphoma.
abstract: Between 1989 and 1998 93 patients with malignant lymphoma were treated, in our centre, with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. Diagnosis according to the REAL-classification were: 38 patients with high-grade lymphoma (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCL) (n = 26), anaplastic T-cell (n = 5), lymfoblastic (n = 3) and others (n = 4)), 31 patients with low-grade lymphoma (follicular (n = 18), mantle cell (n = 4), B-CLL (n = 3) and others (n = 6)) and, finally, 24 patients with Hodgkin's disease. The source of stem cells was bone marrow (14 patients), peripheral blood stem cells (64 patients) or a combination of both sources (15 patients). There was no early ( < 100 days) transplant-related mortality. One patient died 11 months post-transplant in unexplained liver failure and all other causes of death were related to relapse of lymphoma. So far, no case of myelodysplastic syndromes or secondary acute leukacmia's has occurred. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) are: (a) DLCL (26 patients, 4-year probability) OS 40%. PFS 33%; (b) follicular (18 patients, 3-year probability) OS 79%, PFS 52%; (c) Hodgkin's lymphoma (24 patients, 5-year probability) OS 65%, PFS 55%. Out of 52 evaluable patients, 34 (65%) have reached remission inversion. The most important findings are no early transplantation-related mortality, remission inversion in a majority of patients, and so far no cases of secondary myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) acute myelogenous leukaemias (AML). Concerning OS and PFS, our results seem to be in accordance with other centres.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden. per-ola.andersson@sahlgrenska.se
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brune
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ekman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous