Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Mini Review
  • Published:

Mini-Review

Is there an upper age limit for bone marrow transplantation?

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 29, pages 277–284 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Advances in hematopoietic cell transplantation have reduced the toxicity of both allogeneic and autologous transplantation. Decisions regarding the feasibility of transplantation should be individualized, and based upon physiological rather than chronological age.

Bone Marrow Transplantation (2002) 29, 277–284. doi:10.1038/sj.bmt.1703382

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Scheinberg DA, Maslak P, Weiss MA . Acute Leukemias In: DeVita VT, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA (eds) Cancer Principles and Practice of Oncology Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia 1997 pp 2293 2320

    Google Scholar 

  2. Scheinberg DA, Maslak P, Weiss M . Myelodysplastic syndromes In: DeVita VT, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA (eds) Cancer Principles and Practice of Oncology Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia 1997 pp 2388 2396

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bloomfield CD, Lawrence D, Byrd J . Frequency of prolonged remission duration after high-dose cytarabine intensification in acute myeloid leukemia varies by cytogenetic subtype Cancer Res 1998 58: 4173 4179

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Grimwade D, Walker H, Oliver F et al. The importance of diagnostic cytogenetics on outcome in AML: analysis of 1612 patients entered into the MRC AML 10 trial. The Medical Research Council Adult and Children's Leukemia Working Parties Blood 1998 92: 2322 2333

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Faderl S, Kantarjian HM, Talpaz M, Estrov Z . Clinical significance of cytogenetic abnormalities in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia Blood 1998 91: 3995 4019

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Head DR . Revised classification of acute myeloid leukemia Leukemia 1996 10: 1826 1831

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Estey E, Thall P, Beran M . Effect of diagnosis (refractory anemia with excess blasts, refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation, or acute myeloid leukemia (AML)) on outcome of AML-type chemotherapy Blood 2001 90: 2969 2977

    Google Scholar 

  8. Leith CP, Kopecky KJ, Godwin J . Acute myeloid leukemia in the elderly: assessment of multidrug resistance (MDR) and cytogenetics distinguishes biologic subgroups with remarkably distinct responses to standard chemotherapy. A Southwest Oncology Group study Blood 1997 89: 3323 3329

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. List AF, Spier CS, Grogan TM . Overexpression of the major vault transporter protein lung-resistance protein predicts treatment outcome in acute myeloid leukemia Blood 1996 87: 2464 2469

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Zhu Y-M, Das-Gupta EP, Russel NH . Microsatellite instability and p53 mutations are associated with abnormal expression of the MSH2 gene in adult acute leukemia Blood 1999 94: 733 740

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Shipp M, Harrington DP, Anderson JR . The International non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Prognostic Factors Project. A predictive model for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma New Engl J Med 1993 329: 987 994

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Mayer RJ, Sea DR . Intensive postremission chemotherapy in adults with acute myeloid leukemia New Engl J Med 1994 331: 896 903

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Rees JK, Gray RG . Principal results of the medical research council's 8th acute myeloid leukemia trial Lancet 1986 2: 1236 1241

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Damon LE, Mass R, Linker CA . The association between high-dose cytarabine neurotoxicity and renal insufficiency J Clin Oncol 1989 7: 1563 1568

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Rubin EH, Andersen JW, Berg DT et al. Risk factors for high-dose cytarabine neurotoxicity: an analysis of a cancer and leukemia group B trial in patients with acute myeloid leukemia J Clin Oncol 2001 10: 948 953

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Kusnierz-Glaz CP, Schlegel PG, Wong RM et al. Influence of age on the outcome of 500 autologous bone marrow transplant procedures for hematologic malignancies J Clin Oncol 1997 15: 18 25

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Schmitz N, Linch DC, Dreger P et al. Randomized trial of filgrastim-mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation versus autologous bone marrow transplantation in lymphoma patients Lancet 1996 347: 353 357

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Sweetenham JW, Pearce R, Philip T et al. High-dose therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation for intermediate and high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients aged 55 years and over: results from the European Group for Bone Marrow Transplantation Bone Marrow Transplant 1994 14: 981 987

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Cahn JY, Labopin M, Mandelli F et al. Autologous bone marrow transplantation for first remission acute myeloblastic leukemia in patients older than 50 years: a retrospective analysis of the European Bone Marrow Transplant Group Blood 1995 85: 575 579

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Press OW, Eary J, Gooley TA et al. A phase I/II trial of iodine-131-tositumomab (anti-CD20), etoposide, cyclophosphamide and autologous stem cell transplantation for relapsed B-cell lymphomas Blood 2000 96: 2934 2942

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Attal M, Harrousseau JL, Stoppa AM et al. A prospective, randomized trial of autologous bone marrow transplantation and chemotherapy in multiple myeloma New Engl J Med 1996 335: 91 97

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Vesole DH, Tricot G, Jagannath S et al. Autotransplants in multiple myeloma: what have we learned? Blood 1996 88: 838 847

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Tricot G, Sawyer J, Jagannath S et al. Poor prognosis in multiple myeloma is associated only with partial or complete deletions of chromosome 13 or abnormalities involving 11q and not with other karyotype abnormalities Blood 1995 86: 4250 4256

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Tricot G, Sawyer J, Jagannath S et al. The unique role of cytogenetics in the prognosis of patients with myeloma receiving high dose therapy and autotransplants J Clin Oncol 1997 15: 2659 2666

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Siegel DS, Desikan KR, Mehta J et al. Age is not a prognostic variable with autotransplants for multiple myeloma Blood 1999 93: 51 54

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Badros A, Barlogie B, Siegel DS et al. Autologous stem cell transplantation in elderly multiple myeloma patients over the age of 70 years Br J Hematol 2001 114: 600 607

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Blume KG, Forman SJ, Nademanee A . Bone marrow transplantation for hematologic malignancies in patients aged 30 years or older J Clin Oncol 1986 4: 1489 1492

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Klingemann H-G, Storb R, Fefer A et al. Bone marrow transplantation in patients aged 45 years and older Blood 1986 67: 770 776

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Frassoni F, Labopin M, Gluckman E et al. Results of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute leukemia have improved in Europe with time – a report of the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Bone Marrow Transplant 1996 17: 13 18

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Deeg HJ, Shulman H, Anderson JE et al. Allogeneic and syn-geneic marrow transplantation for myelodysplastic syndrome in patients 55 to 66 years of age Blood 2000 95: 1188 1194

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Clift RA, Appelbaum FR, Thomas ED . Treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia by marrow transplantation Blood 1993 82: 1954 1956

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Slattery JT, Clift RA, Buckner CD et al. Marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukemia: the influence of plasma busulfan levels on the outcome of transplantation Blood 1997 89: 3055 3060

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Kashyap A, Wingard JR, Cagnoni P et al. Intravenous (IV) vs oral busulfan (Bu) as part of a BU/CY (cyclophosphamide) preparative regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT): decreased incidence of hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), VOD-related mortality and overall 100 day mortality Bone Marrow Transplant 2000 25: S33 (Abstr.)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Matthews D, Appelbaum FR, Eary J et al. 131-I-anti-CD45 antibody plus busulfan/cyclophosphamide in matched related transplants for AML in first remission Blood 1996 88: 142a (Abstr.)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Bensinger W, Martin PJ, Storer B et al. Transplantation of bone marrow as compared with peripheral-blood cells from HLA-identical relatives in patients with hematologic cancers New Engl J Med 2001 344: 175 181

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Gale RP, Bortin MM, van Bekkum DW et al. Risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease Br J Haematol 1987 67: 397 406

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Doney K, Fisher L, Appelbaum FR et al. Treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Multivariate analysis of factors affecting acute graft-versus-host disease, relapse, and relapse-free survival Bone Marrow Transplant 1991 7: 453 459

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Weisdorf D, Hakke R, Blazar B et al. Risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease in histocompatible donor bone marrow transplantation Transplantation 1991 51: 1197 1203

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Nash RA, Pepe MS, Storb R et al. Acute graft-versus-host disease: analysis of risk factors after allogeneic marrow transplantation and prophylaxis with cyclosporine and methotrexate Blood 1992 80: 1838 1845

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Hagglund H, Bostrom L, Remberger M et al. Risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease in 291 consecutive HLA-identical bone marrow transplant recipients Bone Marrow Transplant 1995 16: 747 753

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Atkinson K, Horowitz MM, Gale RP et al. Risk factors for chronic graft-versus-host disease after HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation Blood 1990 75: 2459 2464

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Ochs L, Miller W, Filipovich A et al. Predictive factors for chronic graft-versus-host disease after histocompatible sibling donor bone marrow transplantation Bone Marrow Transplant 1994 13: 455 460

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Carlens S, Ringden O, Remberger M et al. Risk factors for chronic graft-versus-hosts disease after bone marrow transplantation: a retrospective single centre analysis Bone Marrow 1998 22: 755 761

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Aschan J, Ringden O . Prognostic factors for long-term survival in leukemia marrow recipients with special emphasis on age and prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease Clin Transplant 1994 8: 258 270

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Papadopoulos EB, Carabasi MH, Castro-Malaspina H et al. T-cell-depleted allogeneic bone marrow transplantation as postremission therapy for acute myelogenous leukemia: freedom from relapse in the absence of graft-versus-host disease Blood 1998 91: 1083 1090

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Small TN, Papadopoulos EB, Boulad F et al. Comparison of immune reconstitution after unrelated and related T-cell-depleted bone marrow transplantation: effect of patient age and donor leukocyte infusions Blood 1999 93: 467 480

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Fefer A, Sullivan KM, Weiden P et al. Graft-versus-leukemia effect in man: the relapse rate of acute leukemia is lower after allogeneic than after syngeneic marrow transplantation Prog Clin Biol Res 1987 244: 401 408

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Gorin NC, Labopin M, Fouillard L . Retrospective evaluation of autologous bone marrow transplantation vs allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from an HLA identical related donor in acute myelocytic leukemia Bone Marrow Transplant 1996 18: 111 117

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Zittoun RA, Mandelli F, Willemze R . Autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation compared with intensive chemotherapy in acute myelogenous leukemia New Engl J Med 1995 332: 217 223

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Sullivan KM, Weiden P, Storb R . Influence of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease on relapse and survival after bone marrow transplantation from HLA-identical siblings as treatment of acute and chronic leukemia Blood 1989 73: 1720 1728

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Slavin S, Nagler A, Naparstek E et al. Nonmyeloblative stem cell transplantation and cell therapy as an alternative to conventional bone marrow transplantation with lethal cytoreduction for the treatment of malignant and nonmalignant hematologic diseases Blood 1998 91: 756 763

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Giralt S, Estey E, Albitar M . Engraftment of allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cells with purine analog-containing chemotherapy: harnessing graft-versus-leukemia without myeloablative therapy Blood 1997 89: 4531 4536

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. McSweeney PA, Niederwieser D, Shizuru JA et al. Hematopoietic cell transplantation in older patients with hematologic malignancies: replacing high-dose cytotoxic therapy with graft-versus-tumor effects Blood 2001 97: 3390 3400

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by grants from the National Cancer Institute #P01 CA30206 and Cancer Center Support Grant CA33572–19S4.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA

    LL Popplewell & SJ Forman

Authors
  1. LL Popplewell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. SJ Forman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Popplewell, L., Forman, S. Is there an upper age limit for bone marrow transplantation?. Bone Marrow Transplant 29, 277–284 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1703382

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1703382

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links