High-dose polychemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation in children with relapsed lymphomas

Sixteen children with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who had relapsed were treated with high-dose chemotherapy with BCNU, cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, 6-thioguanine (high-dose chemotherapy [HDC]) and autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). Eleven complete responses were obtained and five patients remain in prolonged complete unmaintained remission 77+ to 152+ weeks after treatment. The best results were obtained in patients with CNS involvement and when this regimen was used after complete remission or partial response was obtained by other means. The results appear to be better in B-cell than in T-cell lymphomas, but the numbers are too small for statistical assessment. The use of ABMT rendered the pancytopenic period short and safe, despite the use of drug doses higher than those previously described for this HDC. The frequency of interstitial pneumonitis, possibly related to pulmonary toxicity of chemotherapy, remains a major concern. These results show that this regimen can help to cure some patients but its toxicity prohibits its use in primary therapy.