AUTOGRAFTING FOR CHRONIC MYELOID-LEUKEMIA

For most chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients the option of a pote ntially 'curative' allogeneic stem cell transplant is not available be cause of age or lack of donor. Interferon cc appears to extend surviva l when used in the chronic phase of the disease but probably does not produce long-term disease-free survivors. Autografting is being active ly explored as a therapeutic option which may improve on the survival data seen with interferon and numerous different autografting methodol ogies are being investigated. While it seems reasonable to hope that a suitably robust and safe approach to autografting may improve surviva l it is unlikely with current technology that long-term disease-free s urvival will be achieved. To date no compelling trial data are availab le to confirm the efficacy of autografting but large prospective rando mized studies are underway to investigate whether autografting can ind eed extend survival for CML patients who do not have the option of an allograft.