Bone marrow transplantation in children: the king faisal specialist hospital experience

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
• Transplantation Immunology

Background:

• Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a critical treatment for various pediatric hematological and immunological disorders.
• The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH & RC) established a Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report preliminary outcomes of pediatric BMT, focusing on survival, mortality, and morbidity.
• To analyze the results of BMT in children with diverse conditions, including acute leukemia, severe combined immune deficiency, and Fanconi's anemia.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 64 BMT procedures performed on 60 pediatric patients between June 1993 and October 1995.
• Data collection included patient diagnoses, transplant-related toxicity, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and disease-free survival.

Main Results:

• 72% of patients (43 out of 60) were alive and disease-free at a median follow-up of 14 months.
• Eight patients died within 100 days due to transplant-related toxicity.
• Relapse occurred in eight patients with acute leukemia within one year post-BMT; one patient died from chronic GVHD.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric BMT at KFSH & RC demonstrated promising disease-free survival rates for a range of conditions.
• Transplant-related toxicity and GVHD remain significant challenges requiring further management strategies.
• Continued evaluation of preparative regimens and supportive care is essential for optimizing BMT outcomes in children.