EBMT survey on bone marrow transplant activity in Europe: regional differences

In the years 1991 and 1992, 203 teams in 26 European countries performed 11026 BMT procedures: 4841 allografts and 6185 autografts; 10263 (93%) were performed in those 12 countries which did at least 100 transplants in total and five transplants per 1 million inhabitants per year during this 2-year period. Indications for these 10263 BMT were leukemia in 5080 patients (3294 allo-BMT, 1786 auto-BMT), lymphopro-liferative disorders in 3177 patients (329 allo-BMT, 2848 auto-BMT), solid tumors in 1236 patients (18 allogeneic-BMT), 1218 autologous-BMT), aplastic anemia in 305 patients and hemoglobinopathies or inborn errors of disease in 465 patients (456 allogeneic-BMT, 9 autologous-BMT). The proportion of allogeneic- and autologous-BMT, the main indications and the timing (first complete remission versus later stages) were compared between these 12 countries. Differences and similarities can be observed in all three aspects. They underline previously described differences in Europe which can partially be ascribed to different patient populations but may also be caused by divergent medical opinions.