[Megachemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation in children with Ewing sarcoma - Polish experience].

Aim: To present results of megachemotherapy and autologus hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children with Ewing sarcoma in 4 Polish pediatric transplantation centres.

Material And Methods: Between the years 1995-2007 autologous stem cell transplantation was performed in 54 patients (25 girls and 29 boys) with Ewing sarcoma. 26 patients were in complete remission before megachemotherapy, 23 were in partial remission, 3 patients had progression of the disease and the status of 2 patients was unknown. 41 children received busulfan 16 mg/kg and melphalan 140 mg/m(2), 8 children carboplatin 1500 mg/m(2), VP-16 40 mg/kg, melfalan 160 mg/m(2) and 5 children other megachemotherapy protocols.

Results: Probability of survival of patients after transplantation, in complete remission is 0,79 with median 35 months of observation time. For patients after transplantation in partial remission probability of survival was 0,25 with median observation time of 14 months. Patients in progressive disease died 1,3 and 7 months after transplantation. 32 children are alive and 22 patients died, 21 of them due to disease progression.

Conclusions: 1. Megachemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a safe therapy in patients with high risk Ewing sarcoma in complete remission. 2. Proportion of patients with sustained remission after transplantation in greater as compared to the published data related to high risk group without megachemotherapy. 3. According to our data megachemotherapy did not improve outcome in patients with partial remission of the disease.