High-dose combination chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation in adult solid tumors

In order to determine whether high-dose combination chemotherapy was active in chemotherapy resistant patients, 19 patients, (9 with small cell bronchogenic carcinoma, 6 with embryonal cell carcinoma, 2 with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma, 1 with Hodgkin's disease and 1 with chondrosarcoma), 18 of whom had had extensive prior chemotherapy and failed, received 23 courses of high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow infusion (ABMT). Three patients received four courses of cytoxan (2-6 g/m2) and VP-16 (500-600 mg/m2) and 16 patients received 19 courses of cytoxan and VP-16 in these doses plus BCNU (300 mg/m2). Activity was observed in 6 of 8 evaluable small cell bronchogenic carcinoma patients (1 complete response (CR), 4 partial responses (PR), 1 less than PR), in 6 embryonal cell carcinoma patients (3 CR, 2 PR, 1 less than PR), in both patients with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma (1 CR, 1 less than PR), in the patient with Hodgkin's disease (1 PR); and in the patient with chondrosarcoma (stable). Only 2 patients who had received prior cytoxan and VP-16 extensively showed resistance to these programs. The median response duration was 11 weeks (range = 4-55 + weeks). Major toxicity consisted of bacterial infections. Two patients died from treatment related causes. Neutrophils recovered to levels of greater than or equal to 1.5 x 10(9)/liter by days 20-42 (median, day 27) and platelets to levels of greater than 100 x 10(9)/liter by days 21-56 (median, day 32) without any delayed BCNU toxicity. High-dose combination chemotherapy with ABMT causes acceptable toxicity and high response rates of relatively short duration in tumors refractory to conventional chemotherapy.