Treatment of Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Bulgaria.

Background: During the last four decades the prognosis of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been substantially improved due to an increase in complete remission (CR) rates, event-free survival (EFS) and reduced early mortality. The relapsed AML still remains a therapeutic challenge.

Aim: To report the AML treatment results of the Bulgarian pediatric oncohematological centers.

Successful mobilization of peripheral blood stem cells in children with cancer using plerixafor (Mozobil) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor.

This paper describes the successful mobilization of peripheral blood stem cells for autologous transplantation in three children with malignant diseases by using plerixafor (Mozobil; Genzyme Corporation, Cambridge, MA) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) after failed previous mobilizations. A median sixfold increase in the number of circulating CD34+ cells after plerixafor treatment as compared with the baseline level was observed. An optimal CD34+ cell count for transplantation with one or two leukapheresis sessions was achieved.