ALLOGENEIC BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION FOR SYSTEMIC AL AMYLOIDOSIS

Low-intensity chemotherapy is ineffective in most patients with AL amy loidosis, probably because clinical benefit requires regression of the amyloid deposits, and this occurs only very gradually after the under lying plasma cell dyscrasia has been suppressed. We report the first s uccessful allogeneic bone marrow transplant (allo-BMT) for AL amyloido sis, which after 3 years was associated with complete clinical recover y. This supports the idea that there may be a brief window of opportun ity in patients with AL amyloidosis during which dose-intensive chemot herapy is feasible and most likely to produce clinical benefit.