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Conditioning Regimens

Health-related quality of life in patients receiving reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Abstract

Reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic HSCT (RIC) has less regimen-related morbidity and mortality than myeloablative allogeneic HSCT (MT) offering allogeneic transplantation to patients otherwise excluded. Whether these advantages improve health-related quality of life (HRQL) is unknown. We examined the HRQL effects of RIC and MT in patients with hematological diseases pre-transplant (baseline), days 0, 30 100, 1 and 2 years following HSCT. HRQL was measured using the Short Form-36 Health Survey and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General and BMT. Data were analyzed using mixed linear modeling adjusting for baseline HRQL differences. Patients (RIC=41, MT=35) were predominately male (67%), in remission/stable disease (65%) with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status 1 (97%). HRQL progressively improved (P<0.01) in both groups with higher scores at day 100 compared to days 0 and 30; there was no difference between groups during early recovery. At 2 years, all survivors (n=43) reported HRQL similar or better than baseline. Results suggest RIC and MT patients experience a similar pattern of HRQL improvement during early recovery. Two-year survivors report a return to baseline or better in HRQL by day 100, with the exception of physical health in MT patients.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the clinical staff on 2W/BMT, 12 ETU, 13E and OP7: Nonniekaye Shelburne, Kathleen Castro, Leslie Wehrlen, Adriera Greene, Rose Goodwin, Patricia Swanson, Shelia Phang, Laura Chisholm, Clare Hastings, Karen Smith and Dr Elaine Sloand

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Correspondence to M F Bevans.

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Bevans, M., Marden, S., Leidy, N. et al. Health-related quality of life in patients receiving reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 38, 101–109 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705406

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