Autologous stem cell transplantation for acute lymphocytic leukemia in adults.
Autologous bone marrow transplantation remains an investigational treatment for adult ALL. Despite many anecdotal studies showing efficacy, the rarity of ALL has prevented the large randomized trials necessary to confirm effectiveness. Candidates for autoBMT include adult patients in first CR with adverse risk factors and all patients who have experienced disease relapse. It remains debatable which preparative regimen is optimal, whether purging is necessary, or if chemotherapy or immunotherapy administered after transplantation can decrease disease relapse. Overall, every effort should be made to enter ALL patients on well-designed randomized multi-institutional trials. These trials should compare autologous transplantation to newer more intensive chemotherapy regimens and should take into account the heterogeneity of ALL. A quality of life analysis should be performed as one high-dose treatment may be less toxic and better tolerated than multiple cycles of consolidation chemotherapy. Strategies aimed at enhancing an autologous graft-versus-leukemia effect after transplantation may enhance long-term survival. Many more studies are needed to further define the optimal role of autoBMT in adult ALL.
Department of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
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D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016465:Bone Marrow Purging; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007621:Karyotyping; D015993:Life Tables; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009928:Organ Specificity; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D012307:Risk Factors; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome