BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION FOR ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA

Twenty patients have undergone bone marrow transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (AlL). Eighteen patients were in complete remission and 2 had < 10% leukemic blasts in the marrow aspirate in the week prior to transplantation. Eighteen patients were grafted from HLA/MLC compatible siblings. One identical twin and one fully compatible parent were also used as donors. Two patients died of graft-vs.-host disease and 1 of radiation-induced pneumonitis. Four have subsequently relapsed. Thirteen patients remain well and in remission from 202 to 1126 days post-transplantation. Morbidity and mortality from the bone marrow transplantation procedure are low. The major obstacle to permanent success in marrow transplantation of patients with ALL is recurrence of the disease (35% actuarial disease-free survival at 1126 days).