Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), either from bone marrow or from peripheral blood progenitor cells, allows the administration of chemotherapy with a two- to 10-fold increase in the drug doses. The goal is to achieve a higher tumor-cell kill than possible with standard-dose therapy, in the hope that it will improve long-term disease-free survival (DFS). In this setting, toxicity to extramedullary organ becomes dose limiting.<sup>114 Peters W.P., Henner W.D., Bast R.C. , et al. Novel toxicities associated with high dose combination alkylating agents in autologous bone marrow support Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation: Proceedings of the First International Symposium Houston, TX: University of Texas Cancer Center, MD Anderson Hospital (1986).  231-235

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références</sup> Improvements in supportive care have decreased the morbidity and mortality associated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) to a current toxic-death rate of less than 5%.

A potential obstacle to the successful use of HDC in diseases that often involve the bone marrow, such as breast cancer, is the possibility of infusing an autograft contaminated with tumor cells. This risk has prompted research efforts directed at effectively purging cancer cells from the stem cell product before transplantation.