STANDARD-DOSE CISPLATIN WITH RHG-CSF ALLOWS SUFFICIENT HARVESTING OF PBSC FOR AUTOTRANSPLANTATION IN PATIENTS WITH OVARIAN-CANCER

We have investigated the feasibility of a program of autologous periph eral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvesting and transplantation in patients with ovarian cancer. From four patients, PBSC was collected during he matopoietic recovery following aplasia induced by standard dose cispla tin 70 mg m(-2) with etoposide 500 mg m(-2) or adriamycin 40 mg m(-2) and cyclophosphamide 500 mg m(-2) plus recombinant human granulocyte c olony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) at a dose of 75 mu g day(-1) given intracutaneously. In apheresed patients, we harvested an average of 2. 31 x 10(5) kg(-1) colony-forming unit granulocyte/macrophage (range 0- 5.22) per cycle. Low hematologic toxicity was observed during the hema topoietic reconstitution of the four patients subjected to PBSC suppor t with G-CSF (5 mu g kg(-1) day(-1) given by continuous infusion) afte r high-dose chemotherapy (carboplatin 900 mg m(-2) and etoposide 900 m g m(-2)). The patients were not evaluable for a response because we pe rformed consolidated high-dose chemotherapy. However, no evidence of r ecurrence has been observed 11.8 months (range 2-19) after high-dose c hemotherapy. We can conclude that standard dose cisplatin in combinati on with etoposide or adriamycin and cyclophosphamide plus rhG-CSF allo ws sufficient harvesting of PBSC for autotransplantation in patients w ith ovarian cancer.