Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation - Blog Science Connections

460 High-Dose Chemotherapy and ABMT in Breast Cancer
Figure 2. Percentage of patients recovering absolute granulocyte counts of 5001mm 3 after
course 2 of cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and cisplatin. *, with bone marrow transplantation
(5 patients); O, without bone marrow transplantation (6 patients).
Table 5. Nonhematologic Toxicity
Type of Illness Percentage of Patients (n = 30)
Nausea and vomiting 90%
usually grade 2
Stomatitis grade 1 36%
Diarrhea 54%
Bladder 8%
Neurotoxicity 8%
(2 episodes of blurred vision,
2 episodes of peripheral neuropathy)
Cardiotoxicity (1 episode) 2%
DISCUSSION
We have described a combination of drugs that, when administered at
moderate to high doses, was associated with acceptable toxicity, including no
life-threatening extramedullary toxicity. Because of the drugs' minimal erosive
gastrointestinal toxicity, predisposition to bacteremia and subsequent sepsis as
a result of intestinal organisms is limited. This combination of drugs universally
induces absolute granulocytopenia of less than 100/mm 3
and thrombocytopenia
of less than 20,000/mm 3 . At present, we are studying the influence of
bone marrow infusion on hematopoietic recovery after high-dose CVP. Prelimi-