About induction therapy
"Prior to the process of high-dose therapy and
an autologous stem cell transplant, patients receive what is called
“induction therapy”. Induction therapy typically consists of
conventional doses of chemotherapy administered in an attempt to
reduce the amount of cancer in a patient’s body prior to high-dose
therapy.
Patients often have their stem cells collected
following induction therapy. Induction therapy may also reduce the
amount of cancer cells contaminating the stem cell collection that
will be re-infused into the patient and provide optimal chances that
high-dose therapy will eliminate most of the remaining cancer cells.
Patients who do not respond to induction therapy
are referred to as having primary refractory disease and are often not
offered the option of high-dose therapy and a stem cell transplant, as
it is commonly thought that these patients will not respond to the
higher doses of therapy. Furthermore, many insurance companies refuse
to pay for high-dose treatment in patients with primary refractory
disease. "
My note: Some may believe that transplants
are best tried when all else fails, but as the above indicates it's
not something that can be tried once a patient becomes refractory to
treatment.
Source: cancerconsultants.com
