[Hematopoietic cell transplantation. Experience at the Western National Medical Center]

Bone marrow transplantation has recently reached an special place as a therapeutic tool, which was not available ten years ago. AIM AND SETTING: Descriptive information about the first fifteen cases transplanted at Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, on a third level attention in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Fifteen patients were transplanted, were carried out autologous transplantation in ten patients and five have received allogeneic transplant; one allogeneic transplant was performed with bone marrow aspiration donor, all next donation were taken off from peripheral blood stem cell through apheresis procedures. From autologous transplant 3 with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), 3 with Hodgkin's disease, 2 with solid tumor, 1 with high risk acute myelogenous leukemia and 1 large and small cell lymphoma III-B stage. Received allogeneic transplant 4 patients with CML in chronic phase and one with acute lymphoblastic leukemia Ph+.

All patients grafted, the median time to achieve > 0.5 x 10(9)/L granulocytes was 14 days (range: 11-18) from autologous and 16 (range: 14-18) days from allogeneic transplant, whereas the median time to achieve > 20 x 10(9)/L platelets was 18 days (range: 15-35) from autologous and 22 days from allogeneic, three patients died into 100 days postprocedure, two allogeneic, from graft versus host disease III-IV degree, and one autologous from interstitial pneumonia, surviving patients have showed +30 days to +1000 days survival.

With these data we show that this procedure is inexpensive, is factible and possible if it does coexist with multidisciplinary and on time support, interest, dedication on care, and enough information and desire to do it, including official decisions to perform and sponsor its continuity to the people who participate in it.