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
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