KARYOTYPIC CONVERSION BY INTERFERON AS PREPARATIVE TREATMENT FOR AUTOLOGOUS BMT IN PH POSITIVE CML

This is an interim report of the Roferon A/ABMT protocol by ICSG on CML aimed at investigating the feasibility and potential of combining treatment with alpha-IFN with ABMT in Ph+ CML. Of 675 Ph+ CML patients recruited between January 1989 and January 1991 by 44 Italian institutions, 398 were 55 or less years old and eligible for the protocol. Of 132 patients who completed IFN treatment 118 had evaluable karyotype; of these only 48 showed >25% Ph-metaphases and were eligible for BM harvest. In 24 patients BM was collected and 13 were submitted to ABMT. The major causes of drop out from the protocol were shift to allogeneic BMT, accelerated blastic phase, patient refusal and logistic problems. Data on hematologic reconstitution are presently available in 11 patients: Neutrophils were >0.5 x 10(9)/l in 23 days (median), (range 16-40 days); platelets reached 50 x 10(9)/l in 28 days (median), (range 25-100 days). One patient had a very delayed BM take and was rescued with autologous peripheral blood stem cells collected at diagnosis.