A Study of Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation in Patients with Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

Five patients with extensive small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCLC) were treated by highdose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow rescue (Auto-BMT). At the time of Auto-BMT, 2 of five patients were in partial response (PR), and the remaining patients were in a resistant state to conventional chemotherapy.
By Auto-BMT, the two patients in PR status achieved complete remission (CR), and 2 of the three patients in resistant status achieved PR. The other patient was not evaluable because he died of drug-related leukopenia and sepsis.
Survival of the patients showing PR was 1.5 and 6 months after Auto-BMT, while that of one patient in CR was 9.5 months (21.5 months after onset). The cause of death of the above three patients was relapse. However another patient in CR remains alive and disease-free without maintenance chemotherapy for more than 17 months (39 months after onset). This report suggests that Auto-BMT may be useful for patients with extensive SCLC, if they are not in the resistant state.