[Peripheral blood stem cell transplants: clinical considerations and observations in practice in a general hospital]

Of 36 patients with malignant tumors who had been subjected to peripheral blood stem cell harvests (PBSCHs), 22 had undergone peripheral blood stem cell transplants (PBSCTs) since 1993. Flow cytometry recorded higher CD34+ cell yields in the PBSCHs of those patients with high white blood cell (WBC) counts as well as those who had been under intensive chemotherapy. Also, higher CD34+ cell yields were recorded in patients whose peripheral blood WBCs recovered more rapidly from their nadir state. WBC counts recovered rapidly in patients who received transfusions of at least 2.0 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg. However, patients with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) demonstrated a delayed recovery in their platelet counts following PBSCT. The mean disease-free survival rate and mean disease-free period were 60% and 12.8 months for the 5 patients with ANLL; and 100% and 11.3 months for the 4 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia. These findings suggest PBSCT is a safe and effective treatment for patients with malignant tumors following high-dose chemotherapy, and can be performed in a private general hospital.