Autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation for multiple myeloma

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is increasingly used in the treatment of cases of multiple myeloma (MM) where there has been no significant improvement in the patient's condition following conventional chemotherapy. Peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) have replaced bone marrow as a source of stem cells and offer easier accessibility and availability, faster haematopoietic recovery and possibly lower tumour contamination. The IFM 90 randomized trial has shown that autologous bone marrow transplantation significantly improves response rate, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in younger patients with MM. For MM, this review discusses the role of ASCT, the use of PBPC for autologous transplantation, and current developments of ASCT.