the T-lymphocytes, the immunologic cells that bring about a graft-versus-host reaction. As technologies improve, the morbidity and mortality of allogeneic and autologous transplants continue to decrease. The current tendency is to investigate the use of either allogeneic or autologous marrow transplants earlier rather than later in the disease. It is apparent now that first remission transplants may offer better long-term results than with chemotherapy alone. The only exception to this is in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemias where the results with chemotherapy alone and transplant are very similar. In this group of patients, it is still reasonable to consider a transplant during the second remission or early in the first relapse.
