Summary:While allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) is curative for a significant number of patients with AML, relapse of disease within the bone marrow and/or extramedullary (EM) sites following high-dose therapy continues to limit the success of this treatment. Between October 1985 and December 1996, 81 adults underwent allogeneic SCT for de novo AML at our centre. Fortytwo patients remain alive and free of leukaemia with a median follow-up of 50 months. The 5-year actuarial event-free survivals (EFS) for all patients and for those undergoing SCT in CR1 or with advanced disease were 46% (95% confidence interval (CI) 34-58%), 63% (CI 46-76%), and 19% (CI 7-36%), respectively. Twentytwo patients relapsed at a median of 8 (range 1.6-54.5) months with the actuarial risk of relapse for all, CR1 and advanced disease patients being 38%, (CI 27-52%), 23% (CI 13-40%) and 68% (CI 46-88%), respectively. Ten patients relapsed at EM sites; six of these (27% of relapses) had an isolated EM relapse at a median of 31 (range 8.5-54) months. Three of the patients with isolated EM relapse survived у24 months following relapse and two patients remain disease-free at 29+ and 33+ months. BuCy conditioning followed by allogeneic SCT in AML results in satisfactory EFS although there is a significant risk of late isolated EM relapse. Keywords: acute myelogenous leukemia; extramedullary relapse; allogeneic BMT Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) is an effective therapy for patients with AML. 1-3 Long-term event-free survival (EFS) can be achieved in approximately 60% of patients undergoing SCT in first complete remission (CR1) 4-9 and 25-30% of those with more advanced disease. 1,2,4,10,11 However, there remains some controversy regarding the optimal transplant preparative regimen in AML. For patients transplanted in CR1, one randomized study demonstrated a regimen employing TBI to be superior to busulfan/cyclophosphamide (BuCy) conditioning, 7 while another showed the regimens to be equivalent. 8 One of the contributing factors to an unsuccessful result with SCT regardless of the preparative regimen utilized is relapse, occurring in 20-25% and 30-50% of AML patients transplanted during CR1 or with advanced disease, respectively. 1,2,4,7,9 The site of relapse after a TBI-based preparative regimen is usually the marrow with or without extramedullary (EM) disease. 12 Isolated EM relapse occurred in only 13% of patients developing recurrent disease after TBI conditioning in one study. 12 Little is known about the risk of isolated EM relapse of AML following BuCy with a small number of such patients reported recently in a survey by the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) of more than 3000 AML transplants. 13 The present review was prompted by the observation that several patients receiving allogeneic SCT after BuCy at our institution experienced isolated EM relapse.

Background: Curative intent chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) leads to prolonged severe neutropenia, during which patients are highly susceptible to infection. Traditionally these high-risk patients were treated as inpatients. Our center recently implemented a selective ambulatory management policy for AML patients undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted to assess the occurrence of septicemia in AML patients treated over a 5 years period with curative intent chemotherapy. This review encompasses a change in policy from primarily inpatient care to selective outpatient management coupled with prophylactic antibiotic therapy.Results: A total of 294 patients, receiving 623 cycles of chemotherapy were identified. A significant decrease in septicemia was observed from the inpatient to outpatient cohort (22% to 13% P < 0.05), which correlated with the shift towards outpatient treatment of consolidation cycles. A shift from Gram-negative to Gram-positive organisms as the cause of septicemia was also detected in the outpatient cohort, likely due to the introduction of ciprofloxacin prophylaxis. No significant emerging resistance and no septicemia-related mortality were noted in the outpatient cohort. Conclusion:The observed decrease in the incidence of septicemia in the ambulatory cohort adds supportive evidence to the feasibility of selective outpatient management of AML patients with respect to infectious complications.

A treatment strategy for adults with chemosensitive T-LBL that includes planned consolidation with SCT in first response produces favorable long-term outcome.

The optimal timing in which to use intensive chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in Hodgkin's disease (HD) is uncertain. In 1985, we initiated a program in which this modality was used as the initial salvage therapy in patients relapsing after combination chemotherapy. Fifty-eight patients with HD in first relapse after primary chemotherapy received conditioning with high-dose cyclophosphamide, carmustine, etoposide (VP16–213) +/- cisplatin (CBV +/- P) followed by autologous BMT. All but six of these patients were given a median of two cycles of conventional chemotherapy +/- involved field radiation therapy before CBV +/- P and autologous BMT. These measures were not used as a means for patients selection; all patients receiving such therapy ultimately were transplanted. The probability of nonrelapse mortality, progression of HD, and progression-free survival post-BMT were calculated, and prognostic factors for progression-free survival were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards method. Treatment-related deaths occurred in only three patients. Thirteen patients have relapsed at a median 0.7 years (range 0.1 to 3.5) post- BMT. At a median follow-up of 2.3 years (range 0.4 to 7.2), the actuarial progression-free survival is 64% (95% confidence interval, 46% to 78%). In the statistical analysis, three similarly weighted but independent prognostic factors were identified: “B” symptoms at relapse, extranodal disease at relapse, and initial remission duration of less than 1 year. Patients with no risk factors had a 3-year progression-free survival of 100%, compared with 81% in patients with one factor, 40% in those with two factors, and 0% in patients with all three factors. CBV +/- P and autologous BMT is highly effective salvage therapy for HD patients in a first relapse, particularly in the subset of patients with less than two adverse factors. Therapy must be improved in the future for patients with > or = 2 adverse factors.

Summary:Twenty-six patients with low-grade lymphoma (LGL) (n ‫؍‬ 18) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (n ‫؍‬ 8) received allogeneic BMTs between 1985 and 1998. Median age was 42 years, median interval from diagnosis to transplant 22 months and median number of prior treatments three. Twenty (77%) had stage IV disease; 22 (85%) had never achieved CR. Donor source was HLA matched sibling (n ‫؍‬ 19, 73%), matched unrelated (n ‫؍‬ 6, 23%) or syngeneic (n ‫؍‬ 1). Conditioning therapy included total body irradiation in 23 patients and busulphan in three. Twenty-five received GVHD prophylaxis with cyclosporine A; ؉ methotrexate (n ‫؍‬ 19), ؉ methylprednisolone (n ‫؍‬ 2) or ؉ T cell depletion of allograft ؎ methotrexate (n ‫؍‬ 4). Sixteen patients are alive, a median of 2.4 years post BMT. Death occurred due to transplant complications (n ‫؍‬ 7) or underlying disease (n ‫؍‬ 3). Eighteen (12 LGL, six CLL) of 22 evaluable patients (82%) achieved CR post BMT. Cumulative incidence of refractory/recurrent disease was 18% (95% confidence interval (CI) 7-42%). Overall and event-free survivals were 58% (95% CI 35-75%) and 54% (95% CI 32-72%), respectively. Allogeneic BMT for young patients with advanced LGL or CLL is feasible and can result in long-term disease-free survival. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000) 25, 605-612. Keywords: low-grade lymphoma; chronic lymphocytic leukemia; allogeneic bone marrow transplantation Low-grade lymphoma (LGL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are indolent hematologic malignancies with median survival times approaching a decade.1-5 Although clinical remission can be achieved with standard 6-9 and newer 10-14 therapies, prolonged freedom from recurrence has not been demonstrated for patients with advanced stage, making death from disease almost inevitable. 8,9,11,[13][14][15][16] for younger patients, particularly those with refractory or recurrent disease, a more aggressive approach to treatment can be justified. 17-20High-dose therapy with allogeneic stem cell support is an attractive option for such patients, where marrow involvement is common and the occurrence of a graftversus-leukemia/lymphoma (GVL) effect 21-26 may contribute to the achievement of long-term disease control. Worldwide experience with allogeneic transplantation in this setting is, however, still limited. We report results from 26 patients with LGL or CLL receiving allogeneic BMT at the Vancouver General Hospital since 1985. Patients and methods PatientsTwenty-six patients with LGL (n ϭ 18) or CLL (n ϭ 8) received allogeneic BMT between September 1985 and January 1998, during which time, a total of 589 allografts and 512 autografts were performed in adults by the Leukemia/BMT Program of British Columbia. Eligibility criteria included: (1) age р50-55 years (related donor) and р45-50 years (unrelated donor); (2) Karnofsky performance score (KPS) у80%; and (3) adequate pre-transplant organ function including left ventricular ejection fraction у40%, forced expiratory volume in 1 s у60% and diffusing capacity for car...

The authors retrospectively reviewed computed tomographic (CT) scans of 18 patients who developed 21 episodes of intrathoracic complications after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Pathologic and/or microbiologic diagnoses were available for all patients. All patients were immunocompromised due to either graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), neutropenia, or recurrent malignancy after BMT. CT demonstrated diagnostically relevant findings that were not apparent at radiography in 12 of the 21 cases (57%). These included a ground-glass pattern in early pneumonia (n = 5); a peripheral distribution in GVHD, bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, and eosinophilic drug reaction (n = 4); cavitating lesions in Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (n = 1); hemorrhagic infarcts in aspergillosis (n = 1); and mediastinal adenopathy in recurrent Hodgkin disease (n = 1). The authors conclude that chest CT is superior to radiography in demonstrating the presence, distribution, and extent of intrathoracic complications developing in patients after allogeneic BMT. CT is useful in guiding procedures for tissue diagnosis.

The optimal timing in which to use intensive chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in Hodgkin's disease (HD) is uncertain. In 1985, we initiated a program in which this modality was used as the initial salvage therapy in patients relapsing after combination chemotherapy. Fifty-eight patients with HD in first relapse after primary chemotherapy received conditioning with high-dose cyclophosphamide, carmustine, etoposide (VP16–213) +/- cisplatin (CBV +/- P) followed by autologous BMT. All but six of these patients were given a median of two cycles of conventional chemotherapy +/- involved field radiation therapy before CBV +/- P and autologous BMT. These measures were not used as a means for patients selection; all patients receiving such therapy ultimately were transplanted. The probability of nonrelapse mortality, progression of HD, and progression-free survival post-BMT were calculated, and prognostic factors for progression-free survival were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards method. Treatment-related deaths occurred in only three patients. Thirteen patients have relapsed at a median 0.7 years (range 0.1 to 3.5) post- BMT. At a median follow-up of 2.3 years (range 0.4 to 7.2), the actuarial progression-free survival is 64% (95% confidence interval, 46% to 78%). In the statistical analysis, three similarly weighted but independent prognostic factors were identified: “B” symptoms at relapse, extranodal disease at relapse, and initial remission duration of less than 1 year. Patients with no risk factors had a 3-year progression-free survival of 100%, compared with 81% in patients with one factor, 40% in those with two factors, and 0% in patients with all three factors. CBV +/- P and autologous BMT is highly effective salvage therapy for HD patients in a first relapse, particularly in the subset of patients with less than two adverse factors. Therapy must be improved in the future for patients with > or = 2 adverse factors.

Patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) who fail to enter a complete remission after an initial course of combination chemotherapy are usually considered to have an induction failure (IF); this subset of patients has an extremely poor outcome with further conventional therapy. Since 1985, we have entered 30 IF patients into protocols using conditioning with high-dose cyclophosphamide, carmustine (BCNU), and etoposide (VP16–213) with or without cisplatin (CBV +/- P) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) with bone marrow (19 patients), peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs; 8 patients), or both (3 patients). All except 2 patients had previously received chemotherapy regimens for HD that contained at least 7 drugs, and 9 had received prior radiotherapy (RT). After documentation of IF, the majority of patients received some cytoreductive therapy as specified by protocol (local RT in 9, two cycles of conventional chemotherapy in 2, both modalities in 2, or high-dose cyclophosphamide to enhance PBSC collection in 11) before CBV +/- P. Five treatment-related deaths occurred, all before day 150 posttransplant. Eleven patients have had progressive HD at a median of 6 months (range, 0.1 to 45 months) after ASCT. The actuarial progression-free survival (PFS) at a median follow- up of 3.6 years (range, 0.2 to 8.2 years) is 42% (95% confidence intervals, 21% to 61%). The statistical analysis identified only prior clinical bleomycin lung toxicity as an adverse risk factor for PFS, mainly because of the increased nonrelapse mortality seen in these patients. CBV +/- P and ASCT can produce durable remission in a substantial proportion of IF HD patients who otherwise have a poor survival, and we believed ASCT approaches represent the best therapy currently available for these patients. Additional measures are needed to reduce the primary problem of disease progression despite high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation.