AUTOLOGOUS BLOOD STEM-CELL TRANSPLANTATION FOLLOWED BY RECOMBINANT ALPHA-INTERFERON AS TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH HIGH-RISK CHRONIC MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA - A REPORT OF 32 CASES

Autologous blood stem cell transplantation (ASCT) was performed in 32 patients with high risk chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Prior to A SCT, the patients were given Busulfan and high-dose Melphalan. Periphe ral blood stem cells collected at diagnosis were used to rescue hemato poiesis. Recombinant Interferon was administered after ASCT. In 24 pat ients transplanted in transformation, 23 achieved a complete hematolog ical response and nine are still alive 9 to 73 months after ASCT. Eigh t other patients were transplanted in chronic phase for either the pre sence of bad prognostic factors (Sokal's classification) or no respons e to IFN. Seven are alive without transformation 16 to 48 months after ASCT. Although few patients presented a cytogenetical response (10/28 ), the survival observed in this series of patients compares favorably with that of patients treated conventionally. Thus, the place of ASCT in CML could now be tested prospectively.