[High-Dose Therapy and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation for Patients with Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Remaining in Initial Remission: Results of a Feasibility Study].

High-dose therapy with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (HDT/PBSCT) was performed as one aspect of front-line therapy in patients with poor-risk aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (high-intermediate/high risk) according to the age-adjusted international prognostic index (aaIPI). Twenty-nine patients were enrolled in this study between November 1994 and March 1999. CHOP + etoposide (CHOP-E) was used as an initial chemotherapy and as a chemotherapy agent for the purpose of cell harvesting. Peripheral blood stem cells were harvested from 17 patients, and HDT with CEC (carboplatin, etoposide, cyclophosphamide)/PBSCT was performed in 11 patients. Eighteen patients dropped out, including five for whom CHOP-E therapy was ineffective and 5 who did not give consent for cell harvesting or HDT/PBSCT. CHOP-E therapy produced complete remission (CR) in 15 out of 26 patients (58%) after discounting the 3 who were ineligible among the 29 who were initially enrolled. The median observation period after PBSCT in the 11 patients who underwent HDT/PBSCT was 25 months (3 to 50 months), and the 3-year disease-free survival rate was 73%. No serious complications associated with the transplantation were observed. We were able to confirm the feasibility and safety of HDT/PBSCT as one form of front-line therapy for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients under 60 years of age.