Aim: To evaluate the efficiency of chemotherapy with standard doses of melfalan and dexamethazone versus autologous peripheral hemopoietic cell transplantation (auto-PHCT) in patients with AL amyloidosis and to reveal poor prognostic factors.
Subjects and methods: Of 36 patients diagnosed as having AL-amylodosis, 17 patients underwent auto-PHCT, 11 patients received chemotherapy only; 8 patients died prior to treatment.
Results: In patients with AL-amyloidosis after chemotherapy and autotransplantation, 3-year overall survival was 28 and 64%, respectively. Low somatic ECOG status and cardiac lesion were independent poor prognostic factors of the disease. The number of involved organs failed to affect overall survival.
Conclusion: Auto-PHCT may be proposed as first-line therapy for patients with AL-amyloidosis who have a somatic ECOG score of 0 to 2 and not more than 3 organs involved. Young patients who have a satisfactory somatic status and no benefit from autotransplantation may undergo auto-PHCT. It is expedient to use average-dose melfalan and dexamethasone when treating patients who are ineligible for high-dose chemotherapy.