The use of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in the treatment of cancer.

Since its first successful application 25 years ago, the clinical use of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation has increased dramatically. Transplantation allows for the administration of high doses of systematic chemotherapy and radiotherapy and confers an antitumor effect separate from the effects of chemotherapy. However,complications including toxicity of treatment, graft failure, and graft-versus-host disease exist. This article reviews the history and current use of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation and outlines new approaches for clinical application.