High-dose therapy with autologous hematopoietic cell support as salvage treatment for patients with breast cancer who have relapsed after previous high-dose chemotherapy

Twenty-six patients with breast cancer who had relapsed after previously re ceiving high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic cell support re ceived a second course of high-dose cytoreductive therapy and autologous he matopoietic cell support as salvage therapy. Several different high-dose th erapy regimens were employed for the second transplant, including a radiola beled immunoconjugate, Two patients died of treatment-related complications . The remaining 24 patients relapsed a median of 126 (range 22-635) days af ter salvage transplant. All have since died. The median survival after salv age transplant was 362 (range 31-931) days. We conclude that second courses of high-dose therapy as salvage treatment are generally well-tolerated but their efficacy is modest. Alternative treatment strategies are needed for these patients.