Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in breast cancer.

Over the past decade, peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) have replaced bone marrow as the major source of haematopoietic support. This transition from marrow to PBPCs is due to the fact that, for many clinical studies, a significantly faster rate of engraftment, particularly for platelets, has been demonstrated for patients who receive PBPC support when compared to similarly treated patients who are transplanted with bone marrow. The leukapheresis procedure itself, quality of PBPC graft, methods of PBPC mobilization, purging, and ex vivo expansion will be discussed in detail.