The additive effect of peripheral blood stem cells, harvested with low-dose cyclophosphamide, to autologous bone marrow reinfusion on hematopoietic reconstitution after ablative chemotherapy in breast cancer patients with localized disease

The additive effect of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) to autologous bone man ow transplantation (ABMT) on haematopoietic reconstitution, after ablative chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer, was evaluated. Patients were treated with induction chemotherapy, followed by ablative chemotherapy consisting of mitoxantrone and thiotepa. Group I (n=14) received ABMT and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), group II (n=11) received ABMT, PBSCs and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. (G-CSF). PBSCs were harvested after a low-dose cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m(2)), followed by G-CSF. Stern cell harvest was routinely started 12 days after cyclophosphamide. Compared to group I, group II showed a significant reduction in the median number of days for leukocytes < 0.5 x 10(9)/L 4.5 days, leukocytes < 1.0 x 10(9) / l 5.5 days, platelets < 20 x 10(9) / l 9 days and platelets < 40 x 10(9) / l 12.5 days. The median number of transfusions of platelets fell from 11.5 to 7 and of red blood cells from 8.5 to 6. The median hospitalisation duration declined from 40.5 to 30 days, fever above 38 degrees C with 7.5 days, fever above 38.5 degrees C with 4 days and antibiotic treatment with 8.5 days in group I versus group II. Improvement of haematological recovery, duration of fever and hospitalisation was observed by the addition of PBSCs, obtained after a relatively low-dose cyclophosphamide and G-CSF and stem cell pheresis on fixed days, to autologous bone marrow and growth factor in the period after ablative chemotherapy.