Long-term follow-up of 23 patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplant in first complete remission

Between 1984 and 1997, 23 consecutive patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first complete remission were treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplants from HLA-matched siblings. All patients but one were conditioned with fractionated total body irradiation (1320 cGy) and high-dose etoposide (60 mg/kg). One patient received high-dose cyclophosphamide instead of etoposide, and another patient received both drugs. Nine patients died following BMT, two from relapsed leukemia, and seven from transplant-related causes. The 3-year probabilities of disease-free survival and relapse are 65% and 12%, respectively. For patients transplanted after 1992, these probabilities are 81% (48-95%, 95% confidence interval) and 11% (2-50%), respectively. The relatively low relapse rate in this group of patients compared to published reports may reflect the enhanced anti-leukemic activity of etoposide in combination with FTBI compared to other conditioning regimens. The enhancement in overall survival for patients transplanted after 1992 may reflect improvements in supportive care, in particular, the prophylaxis of serious fungal and viral infections.

Cyclosporine, methotrexate, and prednisone compared with cyclosporine and prednisone for prevention of acute graft-vs.-host disease: effect on chronic graft-vs.-host disease and long-term survival

Graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) is a major predictor of outcome following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). For patients alive at day 100 after BMT, the presence or absence of chronic GVHD is one of the most important determinants of survival and quality of life. We wished to determine the effects on chronic GVHD of two regimens used for the prophylaxis of acute GVHD: cyclosporine, methotrexate, and prednisone (CSA/MTX/PSE) and cyclosporine and prednisone (CSA/PSE). One hundred forty-nine evaluable patients were entered into the acute GVHD study. As of 31 March 1997, 63 months after the last patient underwent BMT, the median survival time was 4.5 years (range 0.09-9.9). The incidence of chronic GVHD was independent of the prophylactic regimen (55 vs. 54%), and extensive chronic GVHD occurred in 25 and 24% of patients receiving CSA/MTX/PSE and CSA/PSE, respectively. Of note, the median Karnofsky performance status of both groups was 100% (range 70-100%), reflecting the low incidence of extensive chronic GVHD. Survival rates free of chronic GVHD were 52 vs. 42% (p = 0.29) for patients receiving CSA/MTX/PSE vs. CSA/PSE. The incidence of relapse was also similar in both groups of patients. These data suggest that the combinations of CSA/MTX/PSE and CSA/PSE result in comparable chronic GVHD-free survival without an increase in leukemic relapse.

High-dose chemo/radiotherapy and autologous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation for poor-risk advanced-stage Hodgkin's disease during first partial or complete remission

Complete remission rates of 70-90% can be achieved following combination chemotherapy for patients with advanced-stage Hodgkin's disease (HD). Patients who present with unfavorable poor prognostic factors, however, have a 5-year disease-free survival of only 40-50%. In an attempt to improve the prognosis of 20 patients with poor-risk advanced-stage HD, we evaluated the role of early high-dose therapy (HDT) and autologous bone marrow/stem cell transplantation (ASCT) during the first complete or partial remission (CR/PR). Patients were eligible for ASCT if they either achieved a PR (defined as > 50% regression) (six patients), or achieved a CR (14 patients) but had presented with three or more of the following unfavorable features: stage IV disease with bone marrow involvement or > or = 2 extranodal sites of involvement; bulky mass > 10 cm or bulky mediastinal mass > 1/3 of mediastina/thoracic ratio; B symptoms; and elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level. The study included 11 men (55%) and 9 women (45%). The median age was 37 years (range 20-57). Seventeen patients (85%) had stage IV disease; 14 (70%) had B symptoms; 13 (65%) had bulky mass > 10 cm; 14 (70%) had > or = 2 extra nodal sites involvement; and eight patients (40%) had elevated LDH levels. All patients were treated with standard four or 7-8 drug combination chemotherapy regimens until they achieved maximal response prior to ASCT with a median of six cycles (range 4-11). Six patients also received involved field radiotherapy to residual bulky mass > 5 cm or bony lesions before ASCT. The median time from diagnosis to ASCT was 8.6 months (range 5.5-18.9). Preparative regimens consisted of fractionated total body irradiation (FTBI) 1200 cGy in combination with etoposide 60 mg/kg and cyclophosphamide 100 mg/kg in all patients except one who had borderline pulmonary function and received lomustine 15 mg/kg instead of FTBI. All patients engrafted and there was no transplant-related mortality. One patient developed congestive cardiomyopathy at 4 years post-ASCT. All patients remain alive and in remission at a median follow-up of 42.8 months (range, 13.2-149.2). These preliminary results suggest that HDT and ASCT can be performed safely during first CR/PR in selected patients with advanced-stage HD who have an unfavorable prognosis. Further randomized studies comparing HDT and ASCT during first CR with conventional chemotherapy and ASCT at relapse in poor-risk advanced-stage HD should be conducted. The prognostic factors and risk groups described recently by an international prognostic study can be used to identify high-risk patients who may be candidates for more intensive therapy.

Interleukin-2-activated autologous bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells in the treatment of acute leukemia and lymphoma

In this pilot trial of interleukin (IL)-2-treated autologous bone marrow (BM) and peripheral stem cell (PSC)-supported high-dose chemoradiotherapy, we report 36 patients with poor-prognosis leukemia and lymphoma who received BM and/or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized autologous PSCs that had been exposed to IL-2 for 24 hours ex vivo. Patients then received IL-2 by low-dose continuous intravenous (i.v.) infusion until hematologic reconstitution and then by intermediate-dose continuous i.v. infusion for six 2-week maintenance cycles given at 1-month intervals. The median Day to neutrophils over 500/microL was 22 with BM and 10 with PSCs (p = 0.01). The median Day to platelets >20,000/microL was 50 for BM and 25 for PSCs, and to platelets >50,000/microL was 138 for BM and 34 for PSCs (p not significant). After the first three patients received IL-2 at 2 mIU x m(-2) x day(-1) and had slow reconstitution, four patients were treated without IL-2 until the maintenance phase following reconstitution. The remaining 29 patients received the initial "post-infusion" IL-2 at 1 mIU x m(-2) x day(-1). Toxicities associated with the infusion of IL-2-activated cells consisted of chills and fever in about one-half of the patients and transient hypotension in 12%. Low-dose IL-2 by continuous i.v. infusion in the early posttransplant period was associated with exacerbation of fever, diarrhea, and altered mental status in a minority of patients. The major dose-limiting toxicities of maintenance IL-2 were fever, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, skin rash, and dyspnea. Among 24 lymphoma patients, nine are in continuous complete remission (CCR) from 18-48 months, and 15 have died (12 due to relapse and three of therapy-related toxicities). Of 12 acute leukemia patients, two with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are in CCR at 38 and 43 months, and one patient who was in cytogenetic but not molecular remission of Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL died of progressive leukemia at Day 108. Three of nine with myeloid leukemia are in CCR at 21, 46, and 53 months; one is in hematologic and cytogenetic remission of acute promyelocytic leukemia at 55 months with multiple new cytogenetic abnormalities; one is alive at 54 months with pancytopenia after incomplete hematologic recovery followed by multiple new cytogenetic abnormalities (myelodysplasia); and one had an unrelated donor transplant after relapsing 4 months following protocol therapy. One myeloid leukemia patient remains without evidence of relapse, but is transfusion-dependent at 15 months following transplant.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation for agnogenic myeloid metaplasia: a European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Société Française de Greffe de Moelle, Gruppo Italiano per il Trapianto del Midollo Osseo, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Collaborative Study

Agnogenic myeloid metaplasia (AMM) is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder in which patients with poor prognostic features, receiving conventional treatments, have a median survival of less than 3 years. In this retrospective multicenter study, we analyze the results and try to define the indications for allogeneic stem cell transplantation in AMM. From January 1979 to November 1997, 55 patients with a median age of 42 years were transplanted from HLA-matched related (n = 49) or alternative (n = 6) donors for AMM. A multivariate analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with posttransplant outcome. The median posttransplant follow-up was 36 months (range, 6 to 223). The 5-year probability of survival was 47% +/- 8% for the overall group, and 54% +/- 8% for patients receiving an unmanipulated HLA-matched related transplant. The 1-year probability of transplant-related mortality was 27% +/- 6%. Hemoglobin level </=100 g/L and osteomyelosclerosis before transplant adversely affected the outcome. The probability of developing grade III-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was 33% +/- 8%. Sixteen of 45 patients developed extensive chronic GVHD. At last follow-up, 22 patients were in complete histohematologic remission. Treatment failure was observed in 13 cases. Age at transplant and karyotype were predictors of treatment failure. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is an effective treatment leading to cure in a substantial number of patients with AMM. A better characterization of the variables affecting the posttransplant outcome should lead to a decreased transplant-related mortality and an improvement in these results.

Adult precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia with translocations involving chromosome band 19p13 is associated with poor prognosis

Cytogenetic translocations involving chromosome band 19p13, the site of the E2A gene, have previously been reported in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) in association with a precursor-B cell immunophenotype and poor prognosis. We studied the frequency, pathologic findings, and clinical course of adults with leukemia with 19p13 translocations. Six patients with t(1;19) (q23;p13) and one patient with t(17;19)(q21;p13), all with ALL, were identified over an 8-year period from among 183 adult ALL patients (2.7%); t(1;19) was observed in 2.2% and t(17;19) in 0.5% of these patients. The seven patients (four females and three males) ranged from 18 to 59 years of age (median 33). All cases had a precursor-B cell immunophenotype, and a distinctive expression of surface markers (CD10, CD19, TdT, and HLA-Dr positive, usually negative for CD20, CD34, and negative for myeloid-associated antigens CD13, CD14, and CD33). The blast cells in one case expressed CD15. All patients were treated with combination chemotherapy and three patients received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. All patients had early (range 6-20 months) relapses, and died due to progressive disease 7-29 months after diagnosis. Similar to pediatric patients, adults with 19p13 leukemias usually do not respond to intensive therapy and have short survival. The poor prognosis of this group of adult ALL patients highlights the importance of detecting 19p13 translocations by cytogenetic analysis or molecular studies.

Extracorporeal photochemotherapy for treatment of drug-resistant graft-vs.-host disease

Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (EP) is a therapeutic approach to the treatment of drug-resistant graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) that uses the known immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory effects of ultraviolet light. In 1990, we initiated a pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EP in patients with refractory GVHD. Between 1991 and 1996, six patients with acute grade IV liver GVHD, 12 patients with chronic following acute GVHD, and six patients with de novo chronic GVHD were treated with EP. All patients had failed to respond to conventional GVHD immunosuppressive drug therapy of cyclosporine and prednisone. The six patients with acute liver GVHD had also received antithymocyte globulin (ATG); therapy for chronic GVHD included thalidomide in eight patients, psoralen plus ultraviolet A in five patients, and ATG in two patients. All patients with acute liver GVHD had progressive liver failure with short survival despite frequent EP. The response rate with EP treatment was 3 of 6 for patients with de novo chronic GVHD and 3 of 12 for patients with chronic following acute GVHD. Three patients with bronchiolitis obliterans had either no response or no documented disease progression while undergoing EP. Side effects of EP were minor and included gastrointestinal upset frequently, catheter-related sepsis in four patients, increased red blood cell and platelet transfusion requirements in one patient, and leukopenia in two patients. EP was discontinued in three patients because of side effects, including GI upset in one patient and bone marrow suppression in two patients. Side effects were reversible with the discontinuation of EP. We were unable to correlate response to EP with the level of methoxypsoralen, number of lymphocytes treated, or pattern of pre- and posttreatment CD4/CD8 ratio. We concluded that EP has some efficacy in the treatment of drug-resistant chronic GVHD, with minor overall toxicity.

Visceral varicella-zoster after bone marrow transplantation: report of a case series and review of the literature

OBJECTIVES

Infection with varicella-zoster virus after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality. Visceral involvement with varicella-zoster may be incorrectly ascribed to graft-versus-host disease, resulting in delayed diagnosis and misguided therapy.

METHODS

A 4-yr retrospective chart review was performed to determine the presenting symptoms and clinical outcome of visceral varicella-zoster virus infection in BMT recipients.

RESULTS

Ten BMT recipients who subsequently developed visceral varicella-zoster virus infection were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 40 yr (range 27-56 yr). Primary hematological malignancies were leukemia (N = 7), myelodysplasia (N = 2), and myelofibrosis (N = 1). Bone marrow transplants in affected patients were autologous (N = 2), related allogeneic (N = 5), or matched unrelated allogeneic (N = 3). The mean time interval from BMT to symptomatic visceral varicella-zoster virus infection was 153 days (range 60-280 days). Presenting symptoms included abdominal pain in all patients, nausea (60%), fever > 38 degrees C (60%), vomiting (50%), pneumonitis (50%), skin rash (40%), and diarrhea (30%). All patients had moderately or profoundly elevated aminotransferases and most had elevated pancreatic enzymes (80%). The mean time interval from the development of abdominal pain to the characteristic skin rash and then diagnosis was 6 and 7 days, respectively (range 4-10 and 4-14 days). Active graft-versus-host disease had previously been documented in five of the eight allogeneic BMT recipients. Immunosuppressive medications were increased at the onset of the abdominal pain in seven of these eight patients for suspected exacerbation of graft-versus-host disease. After recognition of varicella infection, antiviral therapy was promptly initiated; despite this, mortality was still 50%.

CONCLUSIONS

Visceral involvement with varicella-zoster virus infection can occur as a late complication after both allogeneic and autologous BMT. In these cases, symptoms of severe abdominal pain with associated nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and elevated liver and pancreatic enzymes preceded the vesicular skin eruption and were confused with graft-versus-host disease. With the increasing application of high-dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell rescue for both hematological and solid tumors, clinicians should be aware of this potentially treatable and often lethal complication.

Results of high-dose therapy and autologous bone marrow/stem cell transplantation during remission in poor-risk intermediate- and high-grade lymphoma: international index high and high-intermediate risk group

We have conducted a pilot study to investigate the role of high-dose therapy and autologous bone marrow/stem cell transplantation (ASCT) during first complete or partial remission in 52 patients with poor-risk aggressive lymphoma. There were 42 patients with intermediate-grade or immunoblastic lymphoma who were considered to be high (60%) and high-intermediate risk (40%) groups at diagnosis based on the age-adjusted International Prognostic Index (IPI) and 10 patients with high-grade, SNCCL (small non-cleaved cell, Burkitt's, and non-Burkitt's), who at presentation had poor-risk features defined as elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase level, stage IV, and bulky mass >/=10 cm. The median age was 34 years (range, 16 to 56 years). Thirty-nine were transplanted in first complete remission and 13 in first partial remission after conventional therapy. Conditioning regimens consisted of total body irradiation (TBI) administered as a single fraction 750 cGy in 3 patients and in fractionated doses for a total of 1,200 cGy in 44 patients, in combination with 60 mg/kg etoposide and 100 mg/kg cyclophosphamide. Five patients with prior radiotherapy received 450 mg/m2 carmustine instead of TBI. Stem cell sources were either bone marrow and/or peripheral blood. No in vitro purging was used. All patients engrafted. Two SNCCL patients died of venoocclusive disease at 25 days and acute leukemia at 27 months posttransplantation. There were six relapses at 1.5 to 12.8 months posttransplantation. At a median follow-up of 44 months (range, 1 to 113 months), the estimated 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for all patients was 84% (95% confidence interval [CI], 70% to 92%) and 82% (95% CI, 68% to 91%), respectively. In the subset of patients with intermediate-grade and immunoblastic lymphoma, the 3-year DFS was 89% (95% CI, 74% to 96%) for all patients, 87% (95% CI, 67% to 96%) for high-risk patients, and 92% (95 CI, 61% to 99%) for high-intermediate risk patients. The 3-year OS and DFS for SNCCL patients were identical at 60% (95% CI, 30% to 84%). These results suggest that high-dose therapy and ASCT during first remission may improve the survival and prognosis of patients with poor-risk intermediate- and high-grade lymphoma. A prospective randomized study comparing high-dose therapy and ASCT with conventional chemotherapy in IPI high-risk patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma should be undertaken.

Polymyositis as a manifestation of chronic graft-versus-host disease

A syndrome indistinguishable from idiopathic polymyositis occurred in 11 patients as a manifestation of chronic GVHD. All patients had elevation of creatine phosphokinase (CPK). Immunohistology demonstrated the effector cells in the muscle infiltrates as cytotoxic T cells, a finding similar to idiopathic polymyositis. Polymyositis is a rarely reported complication of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) with only 8 cases described in the literature. We encountered this syndrome in a small but significant percentage of our patients with chronic GVHD. Polymyositis associated with chronic GVHD does not affect the overall prognosis for the patient. Moreover, polymyositis can be the only manifestation of chronic GVHD. Awareness of this complication is important because it can be confused with other causes of muscle weakness after bone marrow transplantation. Finally, prompt initiation of corticosteroid therapy results in a rapid improvement of the associated symptoms.

Treatment of perianal infection following bone marrow transplantation

PURPOSE

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is often associated with profound neutropenia. Allogeneic transplant recipients also have defects in both humoral and cellular immunity and thus are subject to increased risk of serious, often life-threatening, infection even beyond the period of granulocyte recovery. The current study was undertaken to evaluate patients who required operative intervention for perianal sepsis following BMT.

METHODS

The bone marrow transplant database at a single institution was used to identify all patients diagnosed with perianal infections after autologous or allogeneic BMT. Charts were reviewed in a retrospective manner.

RESULTS

Over a ten-year period ending in November 1993, 963 BMT were performed at the City of Hope National Medical Center. Twenty-four patients were diagnosed with perianal infections following their transplants. Fifteen patients did not have purulent collections requiring drainage and were treated with antibiotics and supportive measures alone. Nine patients (37.5 percent) required surgical intervention between 10 and 380 days following transplantation. At the time of surgical intervention, seven patients had purulent collections and two patients had acute and chronic inflammation, tissue necrosis, and fibrosis. Of the two patients with an absolute neutrophil count less than 1,000, a purulent collection was found in one of the patients. Cultures taken from perianal abscesses were almost all polymicrobial, and the most common organisms were Escherichia coli, Bacteroides, Enterococcus, and Klebsiella. For those patients undergoing surgical intervention, mean time to complete wound closure by secondary intention was 37.6 days; five patients healed in less than 15 days, two patients healed at 93 and 114 days, and two patients had persistent, open wounds at time of death, which was unrelated to their perianal disease. Five patients were receiving systemic steroids at time of surgical intervention; this did not appear to affect time to wound healing.

CONCLUSIONS

Perianal infections are a rare complication of BMT. Majority of these infections are polymicrobial, and organisms isolated are similar to those seen in the perianal infections of nonimmunosuppressed patients. Despite steroid use, granulocytopenia does not exclude the possible presence of purulent collections, and clinical examination should guide the decision for surgical drainage. In general, perianal wound healing is not prolonged in BMT patients.

In vivo purging with high-dose cytarabine followed by high-dose chemoradiotherapy and reinfusion of unpurged bone marrow for adult acute myelogenous leukemia in first complete remission

PURPOSE

To evaluate in a prospective study the efficacy of autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in adult patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in first remission, using a single course of high-dose Cytarabine (HD Ara-C) consolidation therapy as in vivo purging.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sixty consecutive adult patients with AML in first complete remission (CR) were treated with HD Ara-C consolidation therapy as a method of in vivo purging before marrow collection. High-dose therapy consisted of fractionated total-body irradiation (FTBI) 12 Gy, intravenous etoposide 60 mg/kg, and cyclophosphamide 75 mg/kg, followed by reinfusion of cryopreserved marrow.

RESULTS

Sixty patients underwent consolidation treatment with HD Ara-C with the intent to treat with autologous BMT. Sixteen patients were unable to proceed to autologous BMT (10 patients relapsed, one died of sepsis, one developed cerebellar toxicity, two had inadequate blood counts, and two refused). Forty-four patients underwent autologous BMT and have a median follow-up time of 37 months (range, 14.7 to 68.7) for patients who are alive with no relapse. The cumulative probability of disease-free survival (DFS) at 24 months in the intent-to-treat group is 49% (95% confidence interval [CI], 37% to 62%) and in those who actually underwent autologous BMT is 61% (95% CI, 46% to 74%). The probability of relapse was 44% (95% CI, 31% to 58%) and 33% (95% CI, 20% to 49%) for the intent-to-treat and autologous BMT patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This approach offers a relatively high DFS rate to adult patients with AML in first CR. The results of this study are similar to those achieved with allogeneic BMT.

Busulfan/cyclophosphamide as conditioning regimen for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for myelodysplasia

PURPOSE

A non-radiation-containing regimen of busulfan and cyclophosphamide (BU/CY) was evaluated for toxicity, relapse, and long-term survival in patients who received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for myelodysplasia (MDS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-eight patients with MDS, including eight with therapy-related MDS, were prepared for BMT using BU/CY.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients remain in first remission 18 to 60 months posttransplant. Five patients relapsed after BMT, and four of these patients died. Eight additional patients died of acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and 11 died of regimen-related toxicity, primarily systemic mycoses. Overall survival rate at 2 years was 45% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30 to 0.61), with a 24% probability of relapse (95% CI, 0.10 to 0.49). Regimen-related toxicity was manifested primarily as hepatic dysfunction in 72% of patients, with 16% developing overt venoocclusive disease (VOD).

CONCLUSION

Non-radiation-containing preparative regimens offer long-term survival in allogeneic BMT for MDS that is comparable to that of radiation-containing regimens, and are useful in patients with therapy-related MDS. Monitoring BU levels may reduce regimen-related mortality and improve survival.

Thalidomide as salvage therapy for chronic graft-versus-host disease

Thalidomide has been reported to be an effective agent for treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease (CGVHD). To determine the efficacy of this agent in patients with refractory CGVHD a total of 80 patients who failed to respond to prednisone (PSE) or PSE and cyclosporine (CSA) were treated with thalidomide. Sixteen patients (20%) had a sustained response, 9 with a complete remission and 7 with a partial response. Twenty-nine patients (36%) had thalidomide discontinued because of side effects, which included sedation, constipation, neuritis, skin rash, and neutropenia. Side effects were reversible with drug discontinuation except for mild residual neuritis in one case. Rashes and neutropenia have not previously been reported as thalidomide side effects when used for CGVHD treatment. We conclude thalidomide is immunosuppressive and active in the treatment of CGVHD. A high incidence of reversible side effects limited dose intensity and reduced the number of patients who could benefit from treatment.

High-dose chemotherapy with or without total body irradiation followed by autologous bone marrow and/or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for patients with relapsed and refractory Hodgkin's disease: results in 85 patients with analysis of prognostic factors

Eight-five consecutive patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's disease (HD) underwent high-dose chemotherapy or chemo/radiotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow (ABMT) and/or peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation. Two preparative regimens were used. Twenty-two patients (26%) without prior radiation received fractionated total body irradiation (FTBI) 1,200 Gy in combination with high-dose etoposide (VP-16) 60 mg/kg and cyclophosphamide (CTX) 100 mg/kg. Sixty-three patients (74%) with prior radiotherapy received carmustine (BCNU) 450 mg/m2 instead of FTBI. The median age was 32 years (range, 16 to 56). The median number of prior chemotherapy regimens was three (range, 1 to 7). Forty-three patients (51%) received transplants in first relapse or second complete remission (CR), whereas 33 (39%) received transplants after second or subsequent relapse. All relapsed patients, except one, received conventional salvage chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in an attempt to reduce tumor bulk before transplant. At the time of analysis in April 1994, fifty-seven patients (67%) are alive, including 44 (52%) in continuous CR, with a median follow-up for the surviving patients of 28 months (range, 7 to 66). Thirty patients (35%) relapsed at a median of 9 months (range, 1 to 43). Eleven patients (13%) died of transplant-related complications including veno-occlusive disease of the liver (VOD) in five, acute and late interstitial pneumonitis in three, graft failure in one, cerebral hemorrhage in one, and therapy-induced myelodysplasia (MDS)/acute leukemia in one patient. At a median follow-up of 25 months (range, 0.6 to 66), the cumulative probability of 2-year overall and disease-free survival (DFS) of all 85 patients is 75% (95% confidence interval [CI] 64% to 84%) and 58% (95% CI 47% to 69%), respectively. Three independent prognostic variables were identified by univariate analysis: number of prior chemotherapy regimens, prior radiotherapy, and extranodal disease at ABMT. Multivariate stepwise Cox regression identified the number of prior chemotherapy regimens as the only significant prognostic factor predicting for both relapse and DFS. There were no significant differences in the outcome of the treatment between the two preparative regimens. Our results confirm that high-dose therapy and ABMT is an effective therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory HD. Earlier transplantation is recommended before the development of drug resistance and end organ damage that results from repeated attempts of salvage therapy.

High-dose therapy followed by autologous peripheral-blood stem-cell transplantation for patients with Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma using unprimed and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral-blood stem cells

PURPOSE

To evaluate (1) the effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on peripheral-blood stem-cell (PBSC) mobilization; (2) the rate of hematopoietic recovery after G-CSF-mobilized PBSC transplantation; and (3) the outcome of high-dose myeloablative therapy and PBSC transplantation in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Ninety-five patients with lymphoma underwent high-dose therapy followed by PBSC transplant in three sequentially treated cohorts of patients in a nonrandomized study. The first 30 patients received nonmobilized PBSCs (unprimed) without G-CSF after transplant, the next 26 patients received PBSC that were mobilized with G-CSF 5 micrograms/kg/d (primed-5) plus G-CSF after transplant, and the last 39 patients received PBSC mobilized by G-CSF 10 micrograms/kg/d (primed-10) plus G-CSF after transplant. The conditioning regimen consisted of fractionated total-body irradiation (FTBI) 12 Gy in combination with etoposide 60 mg/kg and cyclophosphamide 100 mg/kg. Patients with prior radiotherapy received carmustine (BCNU) 450 mg/m2 instead of FTBI.

RESULTS

The use of G-CSF-mobilized PBSCs in combination with G-CSF posttransplant resulted in a significantly accelerated time to recovery of both granulocyte and platelet when compared with the unprimed group. The median number of days to an absolute granulocyte count (ANC) of greater than 0.5 x 10(9)/L was 10 days for G-CSF primed versus 20 days for the unprimed (P = .0001). The median days to platelet transfusion independence was 16 and 31 days (P = .0001) for the G-CSF primed and unprimed, respectively. There were also significant reductions in the number of platelet (P = .02) and RBC transfusions (P = .006) for the G-CSF primed. Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors identified CD34+ cell dose as the only additional factor predicting engraftment. Sixty-nine patients are alive at a median follow-up of 15.9 months (range, 7.4 to 63.7). The cumulative probability of 2-year disease-free survival is 59% (95% confidence interval [CI], 36% to 79%) and 39% (95% CI 25% to 55%) for patients with Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The use of G-CSF-mobilized PBSC after high-dose myeloablative therapy resulted in a rapid, complete, and sustained hematopoietic recovery. Disease-free survival over 2 years can be achieved in some patients with relapsed lymphoma after high-dose therapy and PBSC transplantation. However, longer follow-up is required to confirm the curability of this approach.

Fractionated total-body irradiation and high-dose etoposide as a preparatory regimen for bone marrow transplantation for 94 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in chronic phase

Ninety-four consecutive patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in first clinical chronic phase, median age of 34.0 years (range, 6.8 to 52.4 years), with a histocompatible sibling donor, were treated with fractionated total body irradiation (1,320 cGy) and high-dose etoposide (60 mg/kg) followed by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The median time from diagnosis to BMT was 7.0 months (range, 2.3 to 72.0 months). Sixty patients were treated before BMT with hydroxyurea alone, four patients with busulfan alone, one patient with interferon alone, and the other 29 patients were treated with various combinations of these drugs. Cumulative probabilities of overall survival, event-free survival, and relapse at 5 years were 73%, 64%, and 14%, respectively. The median follow-up time for surviving patients was 38 months, ranging from 12 to 88 months. By stepwise Cox regression analysis, significant prognostic variables were age at transplant, acute graft-versus-host disease > or = grade II, cytomegalovirus-associated interstitial pneumonitis, and years from diagnosis to BMT.

Prediction of systemic fungal infection in allogeneic marrow recipients: impact of amphotericin prophylaxis in high-risk patients

PURPOSE

To identify risk factors that might predict for systemic fungal infections in marrow transplant recipients within the first 100 days and to assess the efficacy of low-dose amphotericin B used as prophylaxis for candidemia and infection with invasive Aspergillus species in patients at risk.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis of transplant outcomes for 331 allogeneic marrow recipients transplanted between 1983 and 1989 was performed to identify patients who might be at increased risk of fungal infection. Factors analyzed included disease, remission status, transplant regimen, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, duration of neutropenia, and development of GVHD. A trial of low-dose amphotericin (5 to 10 mg/d) begun on day +1 and continuing for 2 to 3 months posttransplant was begun in 1987 to evaluate its utility in reducing systemic mycoses.

RESULTS

There were 18 episodes of candidemia and 18 systemic mycoses documented by blood or tissue culture or by biopsy. The initiation of high-dose (0.5 to 1 mg/kg/d) corticosteroids early as a component of GVHD prophylaxis in 1986 was identified as the most important risk factor for fungal infections, with a sixfold increase in infections as compared with the previous GVHD regimen (P < .0001); this was despite a significant decrease in the incidence of grade II to IV GVHD (7% v 43%; P = .0001). Low-dose amphotericin B initiated before the start of high-dose corticosteroid GVHD prophylaxis reduced the incidence of fungal infections from 30% to 9% (P = .01) without renal toxicity. Cyclosporine levels were lower in the patients who received amphotericin, leading to an increase in the rate of GVHD to 19% (P = .02). Controlling for GVHD prophylaxis, prolonged neutropenia (P = .00), and grade II to IV GVHD (P = .01) were also identified as risk factors for fungal infection.

CONCLUSION

Amphotericin B can be used in low doses as prophylaxis for fungal infections early in the posttransplant course. However, cyclosporine doses need to be monitored to maintain target levels.

Fractionated total body irradiation and high-dose etoposide as a preparatory regimen for bone marrow transplantation for 99 patients with acute leukemia in first complete remission

Ninety-nine consecutive patients with acute leukemia in first complete remission under age 50 (median age 27 years; age range 1 to 47 years) with a histocompatible sibling donor were treated with fractionated total body irradiation (1,320 cGy) and high-dose etoposide (60 mg/kg) followed by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Sixty-one patients were diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 34 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 3 patients with biphenotypic acute leukemia, and 1 patient with acute undifferentiated leukemia. Thirty of the 34 patients with ALL had at least one of the following high-risk factors: age greater than 30, white blood cell count at presentation > 25,000/microL, extramedullary disease, certain chromosomal translocations, or the need for greater than 4 weeks of induction chemotherapy to achieve first complete remission. Cumulative probabilities of disease-free survival and relapse at 3 years were 61% and 12%, respectively, for the 61 patients with AML and 64% and 12%, respectively, for the 34 patients with ALL. By stepwise Cox regression analysis, significant prognostic variables for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia were the presence of acute graft-versus-host disease and increasing age, whereas for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, significant variables were age and the development of cytomegalovirus-associated interstitial pneumonia. Complications related to graft-versus-host disease and relapse of leukemia were the major causes of death.

Cyclosporine, methotrexate, and prednisone compared with cyclosporine and prednisone for prophylaxis of acute graft-versus-host disease

BACKGROUND

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation remains a serious problem. In a clinical trial, we tested the combination of cyclosporine and prednisone with and without methotrexate for the prevention of GVHD.

METHODS

One hundred fifty patients with either acute leukemia in first complete remission, chronic myelogenous leukemia in first chronic phase, or lymphoblastic lymphoma in first complete remission were enrolled in the study. All the patients were given fractionated total-body irradiation (1320 cGy) and etoposide (60 mg per kilogram of body weight) in preparation for transplantation, and received bone marrow from genotypically histocompatible donors. To prevent GVHD, they were randomly assigned to prophylactic treatment with either cyclosporine, methotrexate, and prednisone or cyclosporine and prednisone without methotrexate. All the patients received standardized supportive care after transplantation, including intravenous gamma globulin.

RESULTS

Patients receiving cyclosporine, methotrexate, and prednisone had a significantly lower incidence of acute GVHD of grades II to IV (9 percent) than those receiving cyclosporine and prednisone (23 percent, P = 0.02). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that an increased risk of acute GVHD was associated with an elevated serum creatinine concentration (P = 0.006) and treatment with cyclosporine and prednisone alone (P = 0.02). The lower incidence of acute GVHD was not associated with a higher rate of relapse of leukemia or lymphoma. There was no significant difference in disease-free survival at three years between the two treatment groups (64 percent with the three-drug regimen vs. 59 percent with the two-drug regimen, P = 0.57).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of cyclosporine, methotrexate, and prednisone was more effective in preventing acute GVHD of grades II to IV than was the combination of cyclosporine and prednisone without methotrexate.

Acalculous cholecystitis in bone marrow transplant patients

BACKGROUND

Acalculous cholecystitis (ACC) is an uncommon disorder of the biliary tract, accounting for approximately 6% of acute cholecystitis cases. In this study, cholecystitis was seen in 8 of 770 bone marrow transplant recipients, with ACC occurring in five (63%).

METHODS

Records of 592 allogenic and 150 autologous BMT patients were reviewed for risk factors associated with ACC.

RESULTS

Only the number of blood transfusions administered and the use of total parenteral nutrition were associated with ACC development. ACC occurred in 4 of 42 (9%) allogeneic recipients who required exchange transfusion for ABO incompatibility. ACC developed in one autogolous recipient alongside venoocclusive disease of the liver. There was no association between ACC development and preparative regimen, cyclosporine usage, graft versus host disease, or cytomegalovirus infection.

CONCLUSIONS

ACC occurs more frequently in patients after ABO incompatible BMT requiring exchange transfusion than in other transplant recipients.

High-dose chemoradiotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation as consolidation therapy during first complete remission in adult patients with poor-risk aggressive lymphoma: a pilot study

Twenty consecutive patients with poor-risk aggressive lymphoma who at presentation either had elevated serum lactic dehydrogenase level (LDH) and any one of the other poor-prognostic features: bulky mass greater than or equal to 10 cm, advanced stage III or IV, and greater than or equal to 2 extranodal sites, or normal LDH level and all other three features, underwent high-dose chemo/radiotherapy followed by unmanipulated autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) during their first complete remission. Eighteen had B-cell lymphoma and 2 had T-cell lymphoma. Eleven patients had high-grade (7 immunoblastic, 3 small noncleaved, non-Burkitt's, and 1 Burkitt's) and 9 had diffuse large cell lymphoma. All patients had achieved a complete remission following conventional chemotherapy. Four patients had also received involved field radiotherapy to areas of bulky disease. The preparative regimen consisted of high-dose etoposide 60 mg/kg and cyclophosphamide 100 mg/kg in combination with fractionated total body irradiation (FTBI) 1,200 cGy (15 patients), or single-dose TBI 750 cGy (2 patients), or carmustine 450 mg/m2 (3 patients). All patients tolerated the treatment well and achieved complete hematologic recovery. Three patients have relapsed at days 79, 196, and 401 after transplantation. Seventeen patients (84%) are alive and relapse-free with a median follow-up of 34 months (range 2 to 54). We conclude that high-dose chemo/radiotherapy followed by autologous BMT can be given as consolidation therapy during first remission in these patients with minimal transplant-related toxicity.