Increasing utilization of bone marrow transplantation. II. Results of the 1985-1987 survey.

The International Bone Marrow Transplant REgistry conducts periodic surveys to determine activity in the field of allogeneic and syngeneic bone marrow transplantation. Data were reported to the IBMTR by 258 institutions in 41 countries regarding their patients who received bone marrow transplants during the period 1985-1987. To the best of our knowledge, the data represent essentially all bone marrow transplants (exclusive of autologous transplants) performed in the past 3 years. A total of 10,887 patients received bone marrow transplants; 73% were for leukemia, 11% for other malignant diseases, 9% for severe aplastic anemia and related disorders, 3% for immune deficiency diseases, 2% for thalassemia major, and 2% for genetic, metabolic, and several other rare diseases. 161 (62%) of the 258 institutions performed fewer than one transplant per month. More than 50% of the patients were transplanted in 37 institutions. 46% of the world's bone marrow transplants were performed in North America, 42% in Western Europe, 5% in Asia, 3% in Australia and New Zealand, 2% in the Mideast and Africa, 1% in South and Central America, and 1% in Eastern Europe and the USSR. The data reflect continued growth in utilization of allogeneic and syngeneic bone marrow transplantation and quantify the annual increases in the number of patients receiving transplants.