[Autologous transplantation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults].
Over the past ten years considerable experience has been gained in autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for acute myelogenous leukemia and it is becoming possible to identify patients who may benefit from this approach. In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)the precise role of autologous transplantation particularly in first remission is much less clear than in AML. Formerly, most adult ALL patients who underwent ABMT did so in relapse or in second or subsequent remission. The fact that some of these patients could become long term survivors has encouraged the use of ABMT in first remission. In most studies 40-50% of first remission patients attained long term disease free survival (DFS). Relapse rates are considerably higher in patients receiving ABMT when compared to those receiving an allogeneic transplant, but the latter group of patients experience significant morbidity and mortality (15-30%) due to graft-versus-host disease and opportunistic infections. ABMT clearly has the potential to effect cures in ALL patients and its role and timing are now the subject of major clinical studies. As the mortality of ABMT for ALL rapidly decreases to approximately 5%, more widespread use of such a procedure may replace the protracted maintenance chemotherapy usually given in this disease.