[Autologous bone marrow transplantation in children]

Autologous bone marrow transplantation is used for children with cancers which are only partially responsive to bone marrow toxic doses of cancer chemotherapy and irradiation. The use of megatherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation instead of conventional doses for children has yielded substantial benefits in B-cell lymphoma, relapse of leukaemia, disseminated neuroblastoma and germ cell tumors. In the case of Wilms' tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma with a partial initial response or a relapse, autologous bone marrow transplantation has been used to a limited extent. Based on the best results from conventional therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation, respectively, the present need for autologous bone marrow transplantation in Denmark is estimated to be 24 transplantations a year.