title: Autologous stem cell transplantation for elderly patients with acute myeloid leukaemia conditioned with continuous infusion idarubicin and busulphan.
abstract: Different studies have suggested the potential utility of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) of the elderly with encouraging results in selected patients. However, while the introduction of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) has consistently reduced morbidity and mortality of the procedure, relapse still represents the major cause of ASCT failure. One possibility to ameliorate therapeutic results could rely on the adoption of conditioning regimens specifically designed for AML. We report therapeutic results from a series of 40 AML patients older than 60 years (median age 67 years) autografted in first complete remission (CR), after conditioning with continuous infusion (c.i.) high dose idarubicin and busulphan. Fourty patients (median age: 67 years) received 2 days c.i. idarubicin at 20 mg/m(2)/day, followed by 3 days oral or intravenous busulphan (4 mg/kg/day) as conditioning. No case of transplant-related mortality occurred. Cardiac toxicity was absent, while 31 patients (77%) had grade 3-4 mucositis. After a median follow-up of 25 months, median disease free and overall survival (OS) for the whole patient population were 13 and 22 months, respectively. Three patients died while in CR from causes unrelated to AML. Better results were achieved in patients with intermediate karyotype as opposed to those with adverse cytogenetics. Our data confirm the feasibility of a conditioning regimen based on high-dose idarubicin plus busulphan in older selected AML patients and suggest clinical improvement in patients with normal cytogenetics.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, Cardarelli Hospital, Napoli, Italy. felicettoferrara@katamail.com
authors.forename: Felicetto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pedata
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Izzo
authors.forename: Clelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Criscuolo
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mele
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002066:Busulfan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015255:Idarubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D002066:Busulfan; D015255:Idarubicin