Regression of an unresectable pancreatic tumor following nonmyeloablative allogeneic peripheral-blood stem-cell transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2003 May;31(10):943-5. doi: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1703932.

Abstract

A 59-year-old female with an unresectable, large pancreatic tumor (10.0 x 8.0 cm(2) on CT scan) underwent nonmyeloablative allogeneic peripheral-blood stem-cell transplantation from her HLA-identical sibling. Pronounced tumor regression and relief from pain without acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were observed following transplantation. The patient is surviving (more than 300 days) after transplantation, with extensive chronic GVHD, and has tumor regression with an 80% reduction in tumor size. The observed clinical course may suggest a graft-versus-tumor effect on the pancreatic tumor following allogeneic stem-cell transplantation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Adenocarcinoma / therapy*
  • Cyclophosphamide / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Graft vs Host Disease / prevention & control
  • Histocompatibility Testing
  • Humans
  • Living Donors
  • Middle Aged
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Siblings
  • Stem Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Time Factors
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Transplantation Conditioning / methods
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vidarabine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Vidarabine / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Cyclophosphamide
  • Vidarabine
  • fludarabine