Abstract:
Hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) has become a curative therapeutic strategy for several malignant and nonmalignant diseases. We report the comprehensive results of the first 10 years of experience in HSCT from the two major BMT units in Lebanon: Makassed University Hospital and the American University of Beirut Medical Center. The median and the 5-year overall survival (OS) were 97 months and 58percent, respectively, for the 84 patients who received allogeneic HSCT, and 60 months and 50percent, respectively, for the 228 patients who received autologous BMT. The results for myeloablative allogeneic transplantation were as follows: AML (n = 28, 5-year OS 58percent, 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) 48percent), CML (n = 9, 5-year OS 66percent, 5-year DFS 52percent), ALL (n = 13, 2-year OS 10percent, 2-year DFS 10percent), thalassemia (n=10, 5-year transfusion-free survival 67percent). The results for autologous HSCT were as follows: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in relapse (n = 37, 5-year OS 68percent, 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) 65percent), Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 55, 5-year OS 55percent, 5-year PFS 36percent), and first-line multiple myeloma (n = 71, 5-year OS 53percent, 5-year PFS 24percent). For allogeneic transplanted patients, the cumulative TRM was 23percent and the incidence of acute GVHD was 23percent. For autografted patients, TRM was 2.6percent. These results indicate that despite the relatively low socioeconomic status of the Lebanese population, both allogeneic and autologous HSCT are feasible with outcomes similar to developed countries.