Long-term follow-up of patients who received recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor after autologous bone marrow transplantation for lymphoid malignancy

Twenty-seven patients with lymphoid neoplasia who underwent autologous bone marrow transplant (BMT) and who had received recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) were followed in order to examine the potential long-term consequences of rhGM-CSF. rhGM-CSF (15-240 micrograms/m2/day) was given daily either for 14 or 21 days after marrow infusion. All surviving patients who remained in remission had stable marrow graft function. The actuarial survival rate was 45% and the relapse incidence was 50% at a median of 774 days after autologous BMT. These findings suggest that treatment with rhGM-CSF does not have profound adverse long-term consequences.