Transplantation of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells procured after high-dose cytarabine-based consolidation chemotherapy for adults with secondary acute myelogenous leukemia in first remission.

Patients with acute myelogenous leukemia secondary to an antecedent hematologic disturbance or cytotoxic chemotherapy are considered to have a very low likelihood of leukemia-free survival regardless of the form of post-remission therapy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate, on the basis of intention to treat, the feasibility and efficacy of high-dose cytarabine/anthracycline consolidation chemotherapy followed by autologous transplantation of chemotherapy/rHuG-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells for seventeen adult patients (median age 63, range 27 to 68) with secondary acute myelogenous leukemia in first remission. Ten eligible patients underwent autologous transplantation of peripheral blood progenitor cells procured following high-dose cytarabine/mitoxantrone consolidation chemotherapy used as a method of in vivo purging. A median of 5 collections (range 2 to 13) were required to procure a median of 9.27 x 10(8) total mononuclear cells/kg (range 2.35 to 21.44 x 10(8) per kg). The median number of CD34-positive progenitor cells was 1.18 x 10(6) kg (range 0.34 to 30.9 x 10(6) kg). After preparative conditioning with 11.25 Gy total body radiation and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg) and autologous transplantation, the median time to neutrophil and platelet recovery were 18 days (range 12 to 29 days) and 25 days (range 8 to 158+ days), respectively. After a median follow-up for surviving patients of 33.4 months (range 7.5 to 54 months), 9 of 17 patients (53%) remain alive with 7 in continued first remission. The median remission duration is 13 months (3 to 53 months) and actuarial leukemia-free survival at 3 years is 51+/-25%. Toxicity of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplant included serious liver and pulmonary toxicity in 2 and 1 patient, respectively. Our results demonstrate that a postremission program of high-dose cytarabine-based consolidation chemotherapy followed by autologous transplantation of chemotherapy-mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells is feasible for patients with secondary acute myelogenous leukemia producing prolonged leukemia-free survival with minimal toxicity.