Peripheral blood progenitor cell mobilization with intermediate-dose cyclophosphamide, sequential granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor, and scheduled commencement of leukapheresis in 225 patients undergoing autologous transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Interpatient variability in the kinetics of peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) mobilization is commonly seen with conventional chemotherapy-based mobilization regimens. This necessitates the availability of leukapheresis (LP) facilities 7 days a week.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The efficacy of an approach where LP was invariably commenced on Day 11 after intermediate-dose cyclophosphamide followed by sequential administration of granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (CSF) and granulocyte-CSF (Cy/GM/G) was retrospectively analyzed in 225 consecutive, unselected patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for all diagnoses other than acute leukemia at our center. Cy/GM/G was scheduled to avoid weekend LP.

RESULTS: After Cy/GM/G, a CD34+ cell yield of at least 2.0x10(6) per kg was achieved in 90.7 percent of patients. Optimal yield (OY; >or=5x10(6) or 10x10(6) CD34+ cells/kg depending on diagnosis) was achieved in 67.6 percent of patients. Only three patients (1.3%) required LP on Saturday or Sunday. Febrile neutropenia (FN) was encountered in 5.3 percent. PBPC yield was highest on Day 1 of LP (p<0.001). In multivariate analyses, platelet (PLT) count on Day 1 of LP (PLT-D1LP) was positively associated with achievement of OY (p<0.001). PLT-D1LP and diagnosis of myeloma were associated with a shorter time to achieve a CD34+ cell yield of at least 5x10(6) per kg (p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively).

CONCLUSION: Cy/GM/G with scheduled LP commencement on Day 11 enables optimal CD34+ cell yields in most patients undergoing autologous transplantation, despite a low risk of FN and avoidance of weekend LP.