BMJ 1994;309:411-2 (6 August)

Letters

Autografts of peripheral blood stem cells

EDITOR, - Autografts of peripheral blood stem cells offer additional advantages to those outlined by Tessa L Holyoake and Ian M Franklin.1 At the moment, peripheral blood stem cells need to be harvested in a large oncology centre with the proper equipment and skill. However, the mobilisation before the harvesting, the intensive chemotherapy followed by reinfusion, and the supportive care may be provided locally in a district general hospital. Most such hospitals have consultant haematologists and nurses with considerable skill in looking after patients with severe pancytopenia for short periods; this experience comes from their management of patients with acute leukaemia.

The patient may need to visit the main oncology centre only as a day case or for an overnight stay. This type of shared care between a major centre and the local hospital offers several advantages. Patients should have most of their treatment locally, and this should be attractive . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Bone marrow transplants from peripheral blood
T L Holyoake and I M Franklin
BMJ 1994 309: 4-5. [Extract] [Full Text]

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