ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe activities in the field of autologous stem cell transplantation in haematological disorders in the Netherlands in the periods before and after 1993 (at that time blood was introduced as source of stem cells). DESIGN: Descriptive, retrospective cohort study. METHOD: Data were collected from the Netherlands Stem Cell Transplantation Registry TYPHON. Details of all transplant patients were reported to TYPHON by the individual transplantation centres. In this overview we describe the changes in transplantation-related mortality, relapse rates and survival in the periods 1 January 1980-31 December 1992 and 1 January 1980-31 December 2002. RESULTS: The number of autologous stem cell transplantations increased almost five-fold in the period 1993-2002. Since 1993 the main indications for transplantation were multiple myeloma (MM) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), as well as acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which was the main indication in the period before 1993. In the period before 1993 most relapses were observed in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and MM, which resulted in low survival rates. After 1993 no great differences in relapse or survival rates were observed between the different disorders. The survival rates for patients with ALL improved during the last research period, especially among younger patients (< 45 years). CONCLUSION: The number of autologous stem cell transplantations has increased considerably since 1993, especially in patients with MM and NHL.