title: A non-myeloablative conditioning regimen in allogeneic stem cell transplantation from related and unrelated donors in elderly patients.
abstract: We describe our experience with the use of a single non-myeloablative preparative regimen in stem-cell transplantation (NST) in 37 heavily pretreated patients > or =55 years. The conditioning regimen consisted of fludarabine, low-dose busulfan, and antithymocyte globulin. Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) grade III-IV and chronic GVHD developed in 15.6% and 44.4% of cases, respectively. With a median follow-up period of 22 (range 3-113) months, the 1-year overall survival and disease-free-survival were 55% and 53%, respectively, while the overall non-relapse mortality was 35%. In conclusion, reduced intensity stem cell transplantation is feasible and effective in patients > or =55 years. Age per se, should no longer be considered as a contra-indication to stem cell transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cancer Immunotherapy, Hadassah, Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsirigotis
authors.forename: Reuven OrMenachem
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Bitan
authors.forename: Igor B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.forename: Simcha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: Aliza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ackerstein
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eladì
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gesundheit
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zilberman
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miron
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leubovic
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Slavin
authors.forename: Michael Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Shapira
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D019650:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014019:Tissue Donors; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000379:methods*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000401:mortality