Allogeneic versus autologous versus peripheral stem cell transplantation in CR1 pediatric AML patients: a single center experience.

Background: Treatment of childhood acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) in first remission, is still evolving. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in patients with a donor has been well established, but the role of autologous transplantation remains of interest, particularly in the light of some encouraging results in adults.

Methods: Out of 81 pediatric patients with AML in first CR, 67 were biologically randomized for allogeneic (n = 31), autologous (n = 20), or peripheral stem cell transplant (n = 16) after completing consolidation treatment, with the remaining (n = 11) dropping out or receiving chemotherapy. Disease free survival (DFS) of these different groups were analyzed.

Results: Allogeneic transplantation is not superior to autologous and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) (DFS in 5 years is 61%, 50%, and 75%). The 5 years DFS in the autologous PBSCT group is significantly better than in the autologous BMT group (75% vs. 50%, P < 0.05).

Conclusions: In pediatric AML patients without a donor, autologous BMT or autologous PBSCT appears to be an effective treatment option with low transplant related mortality especially in less privileged countries where the chemotherapy only results are still low.