High dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation for limited small cell lung cancer

In 1980 we initiated a pilot study of high dose chemotherapy intensified with autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for seven patients with limited small cell lung cancer. Six patients were given the ABMT initially while one male patient received the ABMT late to intensify three courses of induction therapy. He further received radiotherapy and underwent a left pneumonectomy and adoptive immunotherapy, because the presence of residual tumor cells, and has maintained desease-free survival for over 117 weeks. Among the first six patients there were two with complete responses, two with partial responses and one who experienced no change, a total response rate of 80%. One patient died of cardiac tamponade at day 7 and could not be evaluated. The median survival time of 41 (range 34-108) weeks was not encouraging. In conclusion: an increased drug dose with ABMT to intensify the chemotherapy provided disappointing results both when the ABMT was used initially and when it was given late, after induction chemotherapy.