Platelets transfusion in Greece: Where, when, why? A national survey.

BACKGROUND: Platelet transfusion is among the most useful therapeutic tools in modern clinical settings which mean that ensuring an adequate supply is of paramount importance. AIM: The aim of our study was to record the use and wastage of platelet concentrates (PCs) in Greece, so as to come up with evidence-based interventions. METHODS: The study was conducted during May and June 2015. We evaluated the use of random-donor platelets (RDPs) and single-donor apheresis platelets (SDPs). We analyzed such parameters as hospital department and diagnosis, indication for transfusion, PCs' age at the time of transfusion, and wastage rate. RESULTS: We used data from 21 hospitals across the country. A total of 12,061 RDPs and 1189 SDPs were transfused, with an average of 4.84 (±2.72) and 1.12 (±2.73) units per episode, respectively. Most patients had been admitted to the internal medicine and hematology departments. The transfusions were mostly given prophylactically, usually in cases of acute leukemia, and mostly on the day before expiration. Wastage rate was 16.75% for RPDs and 2.70% for SDPs, primarily because of the expiration of the use-by date. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first national survey regarding platelet transfusion in Greece. Since most patients were admitted in internal medicine and hematology departments, we recommend that the staff of the abovementioned departments should undergo training on contemporary transfusion guidelines. Platelet discard rate could further be lowered through the centralization of inventory management along with the extension of the lifetime of PCs by means of emerging technologies.

Plerixafor-aided Mobilization of Peripheral Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cells to Support Subsequent High-dose Chemotherapy After a Prior Autologous Transplant.

BACKGROUND: An appreciable proportion of patients in need of salvage high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation (PBSCT) fail to mobilize adequate numbers of hematopoietic progenitors, and plerixafor is applied for that purpose. Limited data exist on remobilization of PBSCs in patients who have relapsed after prior HDC + PBSCT. Herein, we report on consecutive patients that had undergone successful prior single or tandem HDC for a variety of malignant neoplasms in our institution, and later required re-mobilization of PBSCs in order to support further HDC cycles. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Plerixafor was administered in combination with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor alone, or after mobilizing chemotherapy. Five patients, 2 B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas, 1 multiple myeloma, 1 germ-cell tumor, and 1 Ewing sarcoma, having relapsed after prior HDC + PBSCT, were deemed candidates for further cycle(s) of PBSC-supported HDC. Plerixafor was applied in a "just-in-time" strategy after low CD34+ numbers were measured on the first day of anticipated hematopoietic stem cell collection (non-Hodgkin lymphoma, germ-cell tumor, and Ewing sarcoma), or pre-emptively in multiple myeloma. RESULTS: Successful collection of adequate PBSCs was achieved in all patients, from 1.8 to 3.8 × 106/kg after a median of 2 (range, 1-3) leukaphereses; 4 of 5 patients underwent subsequent HDC + PBSCT and engrafted after a median of 11 days (range, 9-55 days) and 25 days (range, 17-76 days) for neutrophils and platelets, respectively. CONCLUSION: Plerixafor proved effective to mobilize adequate numbers of PBSCs in individual patients with relapsed malignancies after prior single or tandem HDC + PBSCT. These PBSCs could establish sustained multi-lineage hematopoietic engraftment without any sequelae.

Myeloablative chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation can lead to successful postengraftment mobilization of hematopoietic progenitors to support planned subsequent cycle(s) of high-dose chemotherapy and autografting in a patient with relapsed germ-cell tumor.

Salvage high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) together with autologous hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation (ASCT) represents a curative treatment option for patients with relapsed/refractory germ-cell tumor. Usually, 2-3 cycles of HDC are administered with encouraging results, and a sizeable percentage of patients experience long-term survival. However, an appreciable number of patients fail to mobilize adequate numbers of HSCs, adequate to support more than one HDC cycle. There have been no data so far on remobilization of HSCs after prior autografting. We report a unique case with relapsed germ-cell tumor that had undergone the first cycle of HDC with myeloablative doses of carboplatin-etoposide, and HSCs were mobilized successfully in the early posthematopoietic engraftment period to support further cycles of HDC. Four weeks after the first ASCT, an identical second cycle of myeloablative HDC was administered and rescued successfully with the HSCs collected after engraftment following the previous HDC cycle. The present case report illustrates that HSCs can be mobilized successfully in the early postengraftment period after myeloablative doses of carboplatin-etoposide, and these cells can be applied as the sole source of hematopoietic rescue in planned sequential cycles of myeloablative HDC, leading to successful multilineage engraftment. Provided that more extensive experience is gathered in future studies in large numbers of patients, this strategy could prove helpful in patients who cannot initially collect sufficient HSC numbers, before the first autografting cycle, and are in need of sequential HDC+ASCT cycles. A detailed literature review is provided to highlight the uniqueness of the presented case.

Plerixafor added to G-CSF-supported paclitaxel-ifosfamide-cisplatin salvage chemotherapy enhances mobilization of adequate numbers of hematopoietic stem cells for subsequent autografting in hard-to-mobilize patients with relapsed/refractory germ-cell tumors: a single-center experience.

An appreciable percentage of patients with relapsed/refractory germ-cell tumors (GCTs), candidates for high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), fail to mobilize adequate hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) numbers with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)±salvage chemotherapy. Plerixafor has shown a potential to mobilize adequate CD34+HSCs numbers in this context. Here, we applied plerixafor in combination with G-CSF after salvage chemotherapy in 'poor' mobilizers with relapsed/refractory GCTs for HDC+HCT. Patients with relapsed/refractory GCTs (n=10) received salvage paclitaxel-ifosfamide-cisplatin (TIP) chemotherapy+G-CSF to mobilize adequate HSCs to support HDC, mainly with two courses of high-dose thiotepa-etoposide-carboplatin (TEC). Patients failing to achieve the minimum collection threshold of 2.0×10/kg CD34+ cells, to support at least one cycle of HDC, were administered plerixafor before the anticipated HSC collection during subsequent cycle(s). Overall, seven patients mobilized adequate CD34+ cells (>5.0×10/kg) aiming to support two cycles of HDC. Three patients did not mobilize adequate numbers of CD34+ cells after previous G-CSF plus salvage TIP, and plerixafor was added in subsequent cycle(s). This led to a collection of adequate CD34+ cells, able to support HDC with TEC (1-2 cycles). Hematopoietic engraftment for neutrophils (absolute neutrophil count>500/µl) and platelets (platelet count>20 000/µl) with plerixafor-mobilized HSCs occurred after a median of 9 and 14 days, respectively. Salvage TIP+G-CSF leads to successful HSC mobilization in patients with less heavily pretreated GCTs, whereas the addition of plerixafor to G-CSF+TIP led to mobilization of adequate HSCs that supported autografting after one to two TEC cycles.

Control of relapsed germ cell tumor and SLE nephritis by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation.

High-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell support remains a curative treatment option for relapsed or nonresponsive germ cell tumors, and has been applied experimentally to control severe autoimmune diseases. In the present study, we report on a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus nephritis who developed a nonseminomatous germ cell tumor that relapsed after standard chemotherapy and surgery. The patient received high-dose chemotherapy supported by autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation based on its indication for relapsed germ cell tumors. Prolonged control of his relapsed germ cell tumor and systemic lupus erythematosus was attained with high-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell support. An extensive literature review is provided alongside a detailed discussion of the aforementioned case.

Second high-dose chemotherapy intensification followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation applying a novel high-dose topotecan-based regimen in an adult Wilms' tumor patient: case report.

High-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell support remains a valuable treatment option for the rare patient population with relapsed Wilms' tumor. Here we report the case of a 22-year-old male patient treated with two cycles of high-dose chemotherapy at relapse after nephrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy; the first cycle with melphalan--etoposide--carboplatin and the second with a novel preparative regimen incorporating high-dose topotecan (topotecan--cyclophosphamide--melphalan). A detailed discussion and literature review pertaining to that case is provided.

Double high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation in adult Wilms' tumor.

High-dose chemotherapy intensification and hematopoietic stem cell support remains a valuable treatment option for the rare patient with relapsed Wilms' tumor. We report a 22-year-old adult male with an initially diagnosed stage II Wilms' tumor, treated by nephrectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. After 1 year, an intra-abdominal relapse was treated with salvage ifosfamide carboplatin etoposide chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell mobilization. It was intended that he would receive two tandem cycles of high-dose chemotherapy; the first consisting of melphalan etoposide carboplatin; however, the patient did not return to receive the second cycle while in remission, but did return later with grossly relapsed disease. He was then treated with a novel preparative regimen incorporating high-dose topotecan (topotecan, melphalan and cyclophosphamide). This case confirms the feasibility of double high-dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem cell support in relapsed Wilms' tumor. A detailed discussion with an extensive review of the literature, regarding studies evaluating the role and indications of high-dose chemotherapy in Wilms' tumor is provided.