Purpose: We evaluated the outcome of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in second remission (2CR), comparing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) using either matched sibling donors or unrelated donors (URDs).
Patients and methods: A total of 65 patients, aged 2 months to 20 years at BMT, with ALL in 2CR underwent allogeneic BMT at seven Nordic centers during 1990 to 1997. Of the first relapses, 85% were in bone marrow; 46% occurred on therapy, and 54%, off therapy. The preparative regimens were cyclophosphamide plus total-body irradiation +/- antithymocyte/antilymphocyte globulin, busulfan plus cyclophosphamide +/- antithymocyte/antilymphocyte globulin, or cytarabine plus total-body irradiation. Of the allografts, 37 were from HLA-matched siblings and 28 were from URDs.
Results: In the sibling versus URD graft recipient groups, the posttransplantation 5-year event-free survival was 39% versus 54% (P =.4), the estimated posttransplantation relapse rate was 76% versus 40% (P = not significant [NS]), and the toxic death rate was 19% versus 11% (P = NS). The incidence of significant (grade 2 to 4) acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was 38% versus 64% (P <.05) and was 14% versus 32% (P <.10) for severe (grade 3 to 4) acute GVHD; the incidence of chronic GVHD was 26% versus 57% (P <.05) and was 13% versus 22% (P = NS) for extensive chronic GVHD in the sibling and URD groups.
Conclusion: BMT with matched URD allografts offers at least equal survival for children with ALL in 2CR, as compared with allografts from matched sibling donors. URD allografts were not associated with a higher toxic mortality rate, although both acute and chronic GVHD were more frequent with URD. Indications for using matched URD allografts in ALL 2CR can be considered the same as for using matched sibling donors.