Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation in Leukemia

Abstract

This paper describes European experience of bone marrow transplantation for hematological malignancies. From 1979 until December 1986 2224 transplants were reported to the European registry. The results clearly show that the leukemia-free survival is highest when the transplant is performed in the first complete remission of acute leukemia or in the first chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia. Under these conditions 50% of the patients can be expected to be alive and well at 8 years after the transplantation. Other factors influencing leukemia-free survival are age, donor-recipient sex combination, and prevention of graft-versus-host disease with cyclosporine.