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Management of chronic myeloid leukemia during pregnancy with leukapheresis
Author(s) -
Strobl Frank J.,
Voelkerding Karl V.,
Smith Eileen P.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of clinical apheresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.697
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1098-1101
pISSN - 0733-2459
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-1101(1999)14:1<42::aid-jca8>3.0.co;2-2
Subject(s) - leukapheresis , medicine , chronic myelogenous leukemia , gestation , apheresis , pregnancy , leukemia , myeloid leukemia , surgery , chemotherapy , gynecology , immunology , platelet , cd34 , stem cell , genetics , biology
We describe the successful treatment of a pregnant patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia in chronic phase by using only leukapheresis. Following 20 leukapheresis procedures initiated during the 13th week of gestation and performed over approximately 7 weeks, the patients white blood cell count dropped from 242,000/μl to 19,300/μl. The WBC remained stable over the ensuing 17 weeks until the time of delivery. The patient gave birth by cesarean section to a healthy 2,640 g boy at 37.5 weeks of gestation. This is the second report of the successful use of leukapheresis alone for chronic myelogenous leukemia in chronic phase during the first half of pregnancy. We conclude that where leukapheresis is available, it may provide an alternative treatment to chemotherapy or alpha‐interferon, especially in light of their potential teratogenic and leukemogenic side‐effects. J. Clin. Apheresis 14:42–44, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.