Cost Analysis of Autologous Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation Versus Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation for Patients with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia

We evaluated the costs of unpurged autologous stem cell transplantation in a non-randomised study of 54 consecutive patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies who have been transplanted at the Nijmegen University Hospital between July 1992 and March 1998. Thirty-five patients were transplanted with autologous peripheral stem cells (APSCT): 30 had non Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and 5 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Nineteen patients were transplanted with autologous bone marrow stem cells (ABMT): 17 had NHL and 2 ALL. The number of progenitor cells (CFU-GM, BFU-E) and nucleated cells was significantly higher in peripheral blood transplants. The duration of cytopenia was shorter after APSCT. The leucocyte recovery to 0.5 × 109 /L was 13 days for recipients of peripheral stem cells compared to 20 days for bone marrow recipients (P 4.001). The platelet recoveries to 20 × 109L were 13 and 29 days, respectively (P = 0.001). This resulted in significantly shorter admission duration 24 days after APSCT ver...