Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation - Blog Science Connections

ABMT in CR2 Pediatric ALL 91
followed by ABMT, was évaluable. Twelve of these children are still in
unmaintained CR with a median follow-up of 28.7 months (range, 6+-68+
months); in 10 children, CR has lasted longer than 12 months (Fig 1). Five
children relapsed between 4 and 10 months, and three died soon after this
second relapse.
Among nine children who relapsed while in therapy, four relapsed post-
ABMT, four are in second continuous CR (CCR), and one, as explained, died of
CMV pneumonitis.
Among 10 children who relapsed off therapy, only 1 child relapsed post-
ABMT, 1 died of CNS hemorrhage, and 8 are in second CCR with a median
follow-up of 30.1 months (range, 6-68 months).
DISCUSSION
In our study, the incidence of relapse was lower than in others concerning
ABMT for childhood ALL (6,7). In the near future, we shall have to compare the
clinical results of ABMT in terms of event-free survival with the best chemotherapy
and with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
In few studies (8,9) allogeneic bone marrow transplantation was compared
with normal-dose chemotherapy in the management of children with ALL after
1
19 patients
KOS
7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 63
Figure 1. Event-free survival of 19 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia autografted
during second complete remission.