Autologous nonfrozen bone marrow transplantation after intensive chemotherapy: a pilot study

15 patients with metastatic, nonhematopoietic neoplasms refractory to conventional means of treatment were given intensive chemotherapy followed by infusion of autologous noncryopreserved bone marrow which had been stored at 10 degrees C. This study has shown that the procurement of bone marrow from patients with advanced disease and reinfusion 12 h after high dose chemotherapy is tolerated without significant patient morbidity. The use of marrow stored at 10 degrees C leads to adequate recovery of granulocyte stem cells. The present data also suggest that autologous bone marrow transplantation is beneficial in shortening hematopoietic recovery time in patients receiving high dose chemotherapy and may improve response rates in patients with refractory neoplasms.