Blood and marrow transplantation activity in Europe 1995

Abstract

In 1995, a total of 12101 blood or marrow transplants, performed in Europe by 343 teams from 31 countries, were reported to the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT). Of these, 3858 (32%) were allogeneic, 8243 (68%) autologous transplants. Of the autologous transplants 1384 (17%) were bone marrow derived, 6504 (79%) from peripheral blood stem cells and 355 (4%) combined bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplants. Of the allogeneic transplants, 571 (15%) were peripheral blood stem cell transplants, the remainder, 3287 (85%) bone marrow transplants. Main indications were leukemias with 4408 transplants (36%), 2977 allogeneic (68%) and 1431 autologous (32%); lymphomas with 4671 transplants (39%), 272 allogeneic (6%) and 4399 autologous (94%); severe aplastic anemia with 237 transplants (2%), 237 allogeneic (100%) and 0 autologous (0%); solid tumors with 2399 transplants (20%), 17 allogeneic (1%) and 2382 autologous (99%); and congenital disorders with 294 transplants (2%), 294 allogeneic (100%) and 0 autologous (0%) and others with 92 transplants (1%), 61 allogeneic (66%) and 31 autologous (34%). There were major differences between participating countries. The absolute numbers of teams and transplants per country differ widely and range from 0.2 to 33.3 teams per 10 million inhabitants (median 5.8); 3.2 to 733.3 total transplants per 10 million (median 200); 0.7 to 210 allogeneic transplants per 10 million (median 65); 0.3 to 700 autologous transplants per 10 million (median 122); 0 to 47.7 unrelated transplants per 10 million inhabitants (median 8.7). There is also a difference in the relative number of transplants for the individual indications. The coefficient of variation for selected diseases was calculated for those 14 countries with a minimum of 100 transplants. A narrow coefficient of variation indicates consensus amongst grafting physicians. It is narrowest for chronic myeloid leukemia in allogeneic transplants (36.7%) and for Hodgkin’s disease in autologous transplants (44.8%). These data reflect the present status of blood and marrow transplantation in Europe and provide a basis for patient counselling and health care planning.