Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia: a long-term study of 70 patients-report of the French society of bone marrow transplantation.

PURPOSE

To identify predictive factors of survival, relapse, and transplantation-related mortality (TRM) among patients with therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS) or acute leukemia (t-AML) who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 1980 to 1998, 70 patients underwent allogeneic BMT for t-MDS (n = 31) or t-AML (n = 39) after prior cytotoxic exposure. Thirty-three patients had received induction-type chemotherapy before BMT. At the time of transplantation, there were 24 patients in complete remission (CR) and 46 with active disease.

RESULTS

With a median follow-up of 7.9 years (range, 1.1 to 18.8 years) after BMT, 16 patients are alive, whereas 19 died of relapse, 34 of TRM, and one of relapse of the primary disease. The estimated 2-year overall survival, event-free survival, relapse, and TRM rates were 30% (95% confidence interval [CI], 19% to 40%), 28% (95% CI, 18% to 39%), 42% (95% CI, 26% to 57%), and 49% (95% CI, 36% to 62%), respectively. In multivariable analysis, age greater than 37 years, male sex, positive recipient cytomegalovirus (CMV) serology, absence of CR at BMT, and intensive schedules used for conditioning were associated with poor outcome.

CONCLUSION

BMT is an effective treatment for patients with t-MDS or t-AML who have responsive disease and, in particular, who have no poor-risk cytogenetic features. The poor results of the other patients, especially those with active disease at BMT, emphasize the need to delineate indications and perform prospective protocols.