Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation - Blog Science Connections

BAVC Regimen and Autologous Bone Marrow
Transplantation in Patients With Acute
Myelogenous Leukemia in Remission
Giouanna Meloni, Paolo de Fabritiis, Alessandro Pulsoni,
Antonella Sandrelli, Francesco Malagnino,
Maria Concetta Petti, Alfredo Covelli,
and Franco Mandelli
High-dose radio- and chemotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow
transplantation (ABMT) probably represents the most effective approach for
relapse of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). The majority of patients
achieve a second complete remission (CR2), which is unfortunately of short
duration (1): less than 5% are long-term survivors. However, a second course of
treatment with marrow rescue can result in long-term CR2 (2). Recently,
following the model of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) to
prolong the disease-free survival of AML patients (3), high-dose cytoreductive
therapy and ABMT, in an early phase of the disease, have been anticipated as
being a very intensive consolidation program during first complete remission
(CR1)(4).
Following a previous experience of AML patients in first relapse (5), AML
patients in CR1 or CR2 were entered into a clinical trial of ABMT and BCNCI
(carmustine), amsacrine (m-AMSA), VP-16-213 (etoposide), and cytarabine
(ara-C) (BAVC)-conditioning regimen at the Institute of Hematology in Rome.
From March 1984 to November 1986, 39 patients were accrued.
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