Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is well tolerated and feasible in patients aged 60 and older with acute myelogenous leukemia and in first complete remission

08-17-2006

According to recent research published in the journal Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, "The optimal postremission treatment for elderly patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is presently unknown, but recent studies report the feasibility of autologous stem cell transplantation in this population.

"To better understand the long-term outcome of autologous transplantation in AML patients {{>=}}60 years of age, we evaluated high-dose chemoradiotherapy preparative conditioning followed by transplantation of peripheral blood progenitor cells procured after a single cycle of cytarabine-based consolidation chemotherapy as postremission therapy in 27 patients aged 60 to 71 years (median age, 65 years) with newly diagnosed AML in first complete remission (CR)."

"The median follow-up from CR for all patients was 13.6 months (range, 6.0-123.1 months). The median follow-up from remission for surviving patients was 81 months (range, 41.4-123.1 months). Seven patients are alive in continuous CR, 19 died from relapse, and 1 died as a result of treatment-related infection.

"Leukemia-free survival and overall survival are 10.3 and 13.4 months, respectively. Actuarial leukemia-free and overall survival at 3 years are 25+/-9% and 28+/-9%, respectively," reported A. Lashkari and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Investigators concluded, "Our results demonstrate that autologous transplantation of peripheral blood progenitor cells is well tolerated and feasible for patients 60 years of age with AML in first CR.

"Future investigation should focus on a randomized study evaluating a larger group of elderly patients in first CR comparing autologous stem cell transplantation with conventional cytarabine-based consolidation chemotherapy to identify the optimal postremission therapy."

Lashkari and colleagues published their study in Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (Long-term outcome of autologous transplantation of peripheral blood progenitor cells as postremission management of patients >=60 years with acute myelogenous leukemia. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 2006;12(4):466-471).

For additional information, contact G. Schiller, University of California Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Dept. Med, Division Hematology Oncology, Box 951678, 42-121 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

This article was prepared by Clinical Oncology Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2006, Clinical Oncology Week via NewsRx.com.