Intensive melphalan chemotherapy and cryopreserved autologous bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of refractory cancer.
- 1 June 1983
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Journal of Clinical Oncology
- Vol. 1 (6) , 359-367
- https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.1983.1.6.359
Abstract
Thirty-three adult and pediatric patients with refractory malignancies were treated with escalating doses of melphalan (120-225 mg/m2 IV over 3 days) followed by reinfusion of previously harvested and cryopreserved autologous marrow. The hematological and nonhematological toxicities and the therapeutic effects of this regimen were evaluated. Increasing doses of melphalan did not alter the rate of decline nor the recovery of peripheral blood counts. Granulocyte (greater than 500/microL) and platelet count (greater than 20,000/microL) recovery occurred in a median of 19 (range 12-54) and 24 (range: 12-54) days after bone marrow transplantation, respectively. Five patients experienced severe infection, three of which were fatal, and one patient died due to thrombocytopenic hemorrhage. Toxicity to the gastrointestinal system was dose limiting. The maximum tolerated dose of melphalan was 180 mg/m2; only three of 24 patients experienced severe stomatitis, esophagitis, and diarrhea at this level or less, while e...Keywords
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