Myelo-ablative therapy with peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) support in patients with haematological malignancy.

BACKGROUND: Myelo-ablative therapy with peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) support is increasingly being used in patients with haematological malignancy considered to be at high risk for recurrence. The results of this approach, in comparison with the previous experience at St. Bartholomew's Hospital (SBH) using autologous bone marrow transplantation form the basis of this report. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 42 patients (age range 18-63 years, median 42 years), deemed to have a poor prognosis with conventional therapy received myelo-ablative therapy with PBPC support. Diagnoses comprised: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL): 16 patients, Hodgkin's disease (HD): 9, Multiple Myeloma (MM): 12, and solid tumours (ST): 5. PBPC were mobilised using adriamycin: 35 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1 and etoposide 100 mg/m2 orally, days 1-5, followed by G-CSF: 5 micrograms/kg, subcutaneously, for a median of 7 days (range 6-9 days). RESULTS: A total of 67 PBPC collections were performed, 1 being 'sufficient' (i.e. mononuclear cells > or = 1.5 x 10(8)/kg and CD34+ cells > or = 1 x 10(6)/kg) in 21 of the 42 patients. The median time to haematological recovery following reinfusion of PBPC was 13 days for both neutrophils > 0.5 x 10(9)/l and platelets > 20 x 10(9)/l (ranges: 8-27, and 8-48 days, respectively) which is significantly shorter than for patients in the historical control group. Supportive care requirements were also significantly reduced, as was the duration of hospital stay i.e., median 19 days (range 12-73 days) compared with 29 days (range 9-180 days). CONCLUSION: These results confirm rapid blood count recovery following myelo-ablative therapy with PBPC support and the feasibility of this approach.

Fludarabine in low-grade lymphoma.

During the last 4 years, 88 patients with low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have received fludarabine, 25 mg/m2 daily for 5 days, repeated every 3 to 4 weeks. Fifty-one patients received fludarabine at recurrence or when the disease was deemed resistant to conventional treatment, 21 patients received the drug in the context of "minimal residual disease" in the hope of complete remission being achieved with a view to proceeding to myeloablative therapy (cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation) with autologous bone marrow transplantation, and 16 newly diagnosed patients received fludarabine as first-line therapy. Myelosuppression was the predominant toxicity, with 55% and 31% of previously treated and newly diagnosed patents, respectively, becoming neutropenic (neutrophils < or = 1.0 X 10(9)/L). The response rate (complete and partial response) was 44% for both patients with recurrent/resistant disease (20 of 45 evaluable patients) and for those with "minimal residual disease" (nine of 20 evaluable patients). In newly diagnosed patients, the response rate was 69% (11 of 16 patients). Five patients died of infection while neutropenic. These results confirm the activity of fludarabine in low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Its precise role remains to be determined.