SUCCESSFUL ALLOGENEIC BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION IN SELECTED PATIENTS OVER 50 YEARS OF AGE - A SINGLE INSTITUTIONS EXPERIENCE

As allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a procedure with a higher risk of morbidity and mortality in older patients, many institu tions place a limit of 50 to 55 years for allogeneic BMT, Consequently , older patients may not be offered potentially curative treatment for otherwise poor prognosis diseases such as AML or myelodysplastic synd rome. We compared the outcome of 59 patients aged over 50, 124 aged 40 -50, and 253 aged 18-39 Sears who underwent allogeneic BMT in our inst itution between August 1987 and April 1996, Our results show little in fluence of age on outcome when comparing patients over 50 years with p atients 40-50 years. Apart from an initial higher transplant mortality rate, overall survival was not significantly different between the th ree age groups. The 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates were 57% and 48%, 57% and 48%, and 62% and 58% for the >50 pears, 40-50 years, and <40 years patients, respectively. The incidence of GVHD was also c omparable, We conclude that allogeneic BMT can be performed in selecte d patients over the age of 50 years with acceptable morbidity and mort ality and that older patients should not be denied this treatment base d on age alone.