Autografting cryopreserved buffy coat cells for chronic granulocytic leukaemia in transformation.

Seven patients with chronic granulocytic leukaemia in transformation were treated with combination cytotoxic drugs only or cytotoxic drugs plus total body irradiation followed by transfusion of reconstituted cryopreserved autologous buffy coat cells. Four of the patients were restored to second chronic phase disease which lasted 74, 32, 26 and 12 weeks respectively. Three other patients derived little benefit from the procedure. Buffy coat cells from patients with CGL apparently contain enough pluripotential stem cells to provide effective autografts in most cases. Lymphoid as well as myeloid reconstitution can usually be achieved. Buffy coat cells may thereby be superior to bone marrow cells for this purpose. Aggressive cytoreductive treatment followed by autografting appears to be a promising approach to the palliative management of patients with CGL in transformation.