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Intensive chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell mobilization, collection and transplantation with simultaneous Imatinib therapy in patients with blast crisis chronic myeloid leukaemia

Leukemia volume 20, pages 898–900 (2006)Cite this article

Treatment of patients with blastic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) remains unsatisfactory. Imatinib mesylate, the most active monotherapy for CML in all phases of the disease, results in a median survival of patients with blastic phase CML of 6.9 months only.1 Treatments combining Imatinib with conventional AML- or ALL-type chemotherapy are currently investigated for induction of remission in patients with blastic phase CML. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is proposed in second chronic phase or at the time of minimal tumour burden if a suitable donor is available. Patients without a donor remain at high risk for rapid relapse.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous HSCT in CML patients has been extensively studied during the decade preceding the Imatinib era.2 Outcome after autologous HSCT depends mainly on the phase of the disease and on disease duration. Prospective randomized studies comparing autologous HSCT with conventional interferon-based treatment were initiated but remained nonconclusive. They were stopped when Imatinib therapy became available.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by a grant of the Swiss National Research Foundation (3200B0-106105/1) and Oncosuisse.

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Author notes

  1. D Friess

    Present address: Hematology Division, University Hospital, Berne, Switzerland

  2. J R Passweg

    Present address: Hematology Division, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hematology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

    D Heim, S Christen, G Stüssi, S Meyer-Monard, A Tichelli, J R Passweg & A Gratwohl

  2. Hematology Division, Kantonsspital, Lucerne, Switzerland

    D Friess

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  1. D Heim
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  8. A Gratwohl
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Heim, D., Friess, D., Christen, S. et al. Intensive chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell mobilization, collection and transplantation with simultaneous Imatinib therapy in patients with blast crisis chronic myeloid leukaemia. Leukemia 20, 898–900 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404178

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