Reduced-intensity conditioning using TBI (8 Gy), fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and ATG in elderly CML patients provides excellent results especially when performed in the early course of the disease.
Allogeneic bone marrow or stem cell transplantation is a curative therapeutic option for chronic myelogenous leukemia. In order to decrease the toxicity of the procedure, the dosage of total body irradiation was reduced from 12 to 8 Gy and subsequently the dose of cyclophosphamide from 120 to 80 mg/kg. The purine analogue fludarabine, ATG, cyclosporine A and a short course of methotrexate were given for immune suppression. So far, 35 elderly CML patients with sibling and unrelated donors have been transplanted. Transplant-related mortality at day + 100 was 11%. After engraftment, all patients achieved a complete cytogenetic remission. Relapse occurred in 14% of the patients. The risk of relapse was significantly higher in those patients transplanted in second chronic or accelerated phase (P = 0.048). After a median follow-up of 30 months (range 12-62), 63% of the patients are alive. Those patients transplanted within the first year from diagnosis had an overall survival of 79% (P = 0.049), emphasizing the benefit of early transplantation. Stepwise reduction of conditioning intensity resulted in stable engraftment, low relapse rates and encouraging overall survival in this high-risk patient group.
Weisser
M
M
Clinical Cooperative Group for Haematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Department of Medicine III, University of Munich, Klinikum Grosshadern, Marchioninistr. 5, 81377 Munich, Germany. martin.weisser@med.uni-muenchen.de
Schleuning
M
M
Ledderose
G
G
Rolf
B
B
Schnittger
S
S
Schoch
C
C
Schwerdtfeger
R
R
Kolb
H J
HJ
D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000379:methods*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine