Editorial

High-dose chemotherapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Eligibility, timing, and benefit? Despite the improved clinical responses obtained with purine analogs, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains incurable with available treatments [1]. Until recently, patients with CLL have generally not been con-sidered eligible for autologous or allogeneic stem trans-plantation (SCT). The disease primarily effects the eld-erly, and the marrow is heavily involved with malignant cells; in addition available chemotherapy could not pro-duce bone marrow remissions that would allow collec-tion of normal autologous marrow. A number of recent developments have allowed consideration of SCT for patient with CLL. Fludarabine has been established as an effective agent that produces a true complete remis