Results of bone marrow transplants from human leukocyte antigen-identical sibling donors for treatment of childhood leukemias. A report from the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry.

PURPOSE: Bone marrow transplantation is an effective treatment for leukemia. Cures are possible in 20-80% of transplant recipients depending on the stage of leukemia at the time of transplant. The antileukemia efficacy of transplants result from high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiation given pretransplant and from immune-mediated effects of the graft.
RESULTS: Success of the procedure is limited by transplant-related complications, including graft rejection, graft-vs.-host disease and interstitial pneumonia. Five-year leukemia-free survival ranges from approximately 25% for children transplanted with advanced leukemia, to > 60% in those transplanted in first remission of acute leukemia or first chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia.
CONCLUSIONS: Candidates for transplant include children failing conventional therapy and, possibly, those with early leukemia characterized by features predicting a poor response to conventional therapy.