[Autologous bone marrow transplantation in osteosarcoma]

Four patients with osteosarcoma were treated with intensive chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). The patients received high-dose methotrexate (9-12 mg/m2) with citrovorum factor rescue, high-dose melphalan (60 mg/m2 X 3), actinomycin D (0.5 mg/m2 X 3), adriamycin (30 mg/m2 X 2) and high-dose cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg X 2) during 4 weeks. Bone marrow was aspirated and cryopreserved before treatment and reinfused 48 hours after the completion of chemotherapy. Two of four patients had advanced osteosarcoma with multiple pulmonary metastasis, one of whom had responded well and achieved partial response while the other had shown no response, and both patients died of disease progression 4 and 11 months after ABMT, respectively. The other two patients who received this regimen at an earlier disease stage for prevention of pulmonary metastasis, are alive and well without any evidence of metastasis 31 and 18 months after ABMT, respectively. This regimen was tolerated well in all patients except for mild nausea and vomiting. No infectious episodes were observed during the period of aplasia which continued for 19 to 38 days after marrow infusion. These results suggest that this supralethal combination chemotherapy is safe and tolerable when used with ABMT and effective for patients with osteosarcoma, especially when applied in the non-metastatic phase.