Experience with Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Objectives: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults, and consolidation with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in AML patients represents an alternative therapeutic option in the absence of related or unrelated donors, in the elderly or in patients with good or standard risk. In this retrospective analysis, the data were evaluated from a total of 47 AML patients who underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation between November 2012 and March 2023 at the Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit of Medicalpark Izmir Hospital. The present study also investigates the factors affecting overall survival (OS) and pro-gression-free survival (PFS). Methods: This study is a retrospective evaluation of the data obtained from 47 patients with AML who underwent an autologous HSCT. Results: 24 patients were female, and 23 patients were male. The median age at diagnosis was 39 years (range: 18-68 y). The mean OS from diagnosis to the last follow-up or death was 26 months (4-116 months), and the PFS was 20 months (3-69 months). An assessment of the factors that influenced OS and PFS showed no significant association of NPM positivity, gender, risk group, response to first-line chemotherapy, transplantation at CR (Complete remission) 1 or CR2, LDH (lactade dehidrogenase) , CD34 count, and the day of neutrophil engraftment with OS or PFS. In patients with FLT3(fms benzeri tirozin kinaz 3) positivity, OS was significantly shorter (p < 0.05), while PFS was not significantly different (p=0.21). Conclusions: Consolidation with auto-HSCT in AML patients can be preferred in subjects with good or intermediate 1 risk category according to ELN (European leukemia net )criteria, or in subjects with intermediate 2 or poor-risk category who have no related or unrelated donor.