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autologous blood and marrow transplantation - Blog Science ...

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Toward a Cure by Drug Treatment?<br />

The German CML Study Group Experience<br />

R. Hehlmann, U. Berger, A. Hochhaus, C. Huber, T. Fisch<br />

H. Heimpel, J. Hasford, D. K. Hossfeld, H.-J. Kolb, H. Loft<br />

H. Pralle, W. Queißer, A. Gratwohl, A. Tobler, P. Oppenhoff,<br />

M. Grießhammer, S. Valsamos, H. Eimermacher, T. Südhoff,<br />

S. Müller-Hagen, C. Elser, C. Scheid, M. Steins, C. Falge,<br />

71 Hoffmann, B. Koch, S. Kremers, K. Geissler, C. R. Meier<br />

B. Waßmann, K. Tischmann, J. Eggert, K. Zutavern-Bechtold,<br />

D. Hempel, H.-P. Lohrmann, M. Bargetzi, H.-F. Hinrichs, S. Sc<br />

B. Bieniaszewska, 5. W. Krause, H.-J. Tischler, D. Kata, B. Emm<br />

H. Wolf, E. Krahulcova, N. Brack, J. Mohm, A. C. Mayr, L. Lab<br />

E.-D. Kreuser, O. Rosen, A. A. Fauser, H. G. Sayer, C. Busem<br />

K. Spiekermann, J. Gmür, F. Schneller, O. Klein, W. Grimmin<br />

R. Mück, C. Neri, A. Neubauer, M. Pfirrmann, A. Carella,<br />

J. M. Goldman <strong>and</strong> the German CML Study Group<br />

III. Medizinische Universitätsklinik, Klinikum Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

It is now generally accepted that interferon (IFN) a <strong>and</strong>, to a lesser extent,<br />

hydroxyurea (HU) prolong survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia<br />

(CML). Intensification of drug treatment appears to further prolong survival,<br />

provided drugs are used with sufficiently low toxicity to allow the necessary dose<br />

intensification. Examples are the longer survival times after addition of cytosine<br />

arabinoside (Ara-C) to IFN-based regimens, or after myeloablative chemotherapy<br />

for allogeneic bone <strong>marrow</strong> <strong>transplantation</strong> (alloBMT) <strong>and</strong> relapse. Both groups of<br />

patients show significantly better survival than control groups. The availability of<br />

high-dose chemotherapy <strong>and</strong> autografting technologies offer the potential to further<br />

intensify treatment <strong>and</strong> prolong survival. The German CML Study Group therefore<br />

decided to study the effect of high-dose chemotherapy with autografting followed<br />

by IFN maintenance therapy on survival in a r<strong>and</strong>omized study (CML Study III A).<br />

Since normal hematopoietic progenitor cells are predominantly found at diagnosis<br />

<strong>and</strong> in early chronic phase, <strong>and</strong> since treatment outcome in CML seems better the<br />

earlier treatment is started, it was decided to study high-dose chemotherapy with<br />

autografting as first-line therapy up-front <strong>and</strong> to use stem cells that were mobilized<br />

within 3 months after diagnosis. The preferred mobilization treatment consists of<br />

114

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