Conditional and unconditional estimation of multidimensional quality of life after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a longitudinal follow-up of 415 patients

Quality of life and symptom burden in hematological cancer patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: an observational study at Regional Cancer Centre, India

PURPOSE

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is an intense form of treatment, resulting in major symptom burden but can prove curative. The quality of life (QOL) is a major endpoint for these patients as the survival rate in them has improved over time. The aim of the study is to assess the QOL and symptom burden of hematological malignancy patients at admission to hospital for HSCT, at 1 month and at 3 months following HSCT.

METHODS

This prospective observational study was done on hematological malignancy patients who were admitted for HSCT in a regional cancer center. The study subjects were assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant Scale (FACT-BMT Scale), Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale-revised (r-ESAS), and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21) at the time of hospital admission for transplantation, on day 30 (~ 1 month) and day100 (~ 3 months) of transplantation.

RESULTS

A total of 68 patients were included in this study. FACT-BMT scores have decreased from baseline (F0) to the first follow-up (F1) and then increased in the third follow-up (F2). The maximum r-ESAS mean score was for tiredness among all other symptoms at F0 as well as at F1 and at F2. The DASS 21 scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were maximum during F1 and minimum during F2.

CONCLUSION

Symptom burden is maximum during the first month of BMT, which improves later and QOL becomes improved with time.

International Recommendations for Screening and Preventative Practices for Long-Term Survivors of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy: A 2023 Update

As hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy expand to new indications and international access improves, the number of HCTs performed annually continues to rise. Parallel improvements in HCT techniques and supportive care entails more patients surviving long term, creating further emphasis on survivorship needs. Survivors are at risk for developing late complications secondary to pretransplantation, peritransplantation, and post-transplantation exposures and other underlying risk factors. Guidelines for screening and preventive practices for HCT survivors were originally published in 2006 and then updated in 2012. An international group of experts was convened to review the contemporary literature and update the recommendations while considering the changing practices of HCT and cellular therapy. This review provides updated pediatric and adult survivorship guidelines for HCT and cellular therapy. The contributory role of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) to the development of late effects is discussed, but cGVHD management is not covered in detail. These guidelines emphasize the special needs of patients with distinct underlying HCT indications or comorbidities (eg, hemoglobinopathies, older adults) but do not replace more detailed group-, disease-, or condition-specific guidelines. Although these recommendations should be applicable to the vast majority of HCT recipients, resource constraints may limit their implementation in some settings.

International recommendations for screening and preventative practices for long-term survivors of transplantation and cellular therapy: a 2023 update

As hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy expand to new indications and international access improves, the volume of HCT performed annually continues to rise. Parallel improvements in HCT techniques and supportive care entails more patients surviving long-term, creating further emphasis on survivorship needs. Survivors are at risk for developing late complications secondary to pre-, peri- and post-transplant exposures and other underlying risk-factors. Guidelines for screening and preventive practices for HCT survivors were originally published in 2006 and updated in 2012. To review contemporary literature and update the recommendations while considering the changing practice of HCT and cellular therapy, an international group of experts was again convened. This review provides updated pediatric and adult survivorship guidelines for HCT and cellular therapy. The contributory role of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) to the development of late effects is discussed but cGVHD management is not covered in detail. These guidelines emphasize special needs of patients with distinct underlying HCT indications or comorbidities (e.g., hemoglobinopathies, older adults) but do not replace more detailed group, disease, or condition specific guidelines. Although these recommendations should be applicable to the vast majority of HCT recipients, resource constraints may limit their implementation in some settings.

Patient-reported cognitive function among hematopoietic stem cell transplant and cellular therapy patients: a scoping review

PURPOSE

Cognitive dysfunction is a known complication following cellular therapies (CT), which can be assessed through performance based and patient-reported measures. We performed a systematic scoping review to assess self-reported cognitive function measures used among adult CT patients and describe long-term results, including associations with clinical outcomes.

METHODS

Library databases were searched from inception to February 2020 according to PRISMA guidelines. Additional studies were identified through reference lists and trial protocols. Two members of the research team screened titles and abstracts and resolved discrepancies. Articles that met eligibility criteria continued to full-text review, with 25% double screening. Articles were removed if they (1) were not original research, peer-reviewed articles; (2) were the wrong disease, age, or treatment-specific patient population; (3) did not use patient-reported outcomes; (4) did not separately report cognitive function outcomes.

RESULTS

Of the1952 articles, 56 were included. Twenty-one patient-reported measures of cognitive function were used; most frequently the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30), which includes a two-item cognitive function subscale (57%; n = 32). Thirteen studies collected performance-based and self-reported measures and of those (n = 6) who assessed associations found moderate correlations (range r = .13-.58). Longitudinal patterns showed declines in cognitive function soon after treatment (< 1 month) returning to baseline at 1 year. Cognitive function was often associated with other quality of life measures, chiefly depression (n = 5).

CONCLUSIONS

EORTC-QLQ-C30 is the most commonly used to measure, though there remain numerous measures used, including several measures with little previous validation and investigator developed items.

Sleep-wake Disturbance following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Trajectory and Correlates.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2055018/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Adults undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT) experience progressive physical and psychosocial distress in early stages post-HSCT, including sleep-wake disturbance (SWD), psychological distress, and fatigue. We conducted a longitudinal feasibility study to determine severity/trajectory of SWDs and investigated relationships among actigraphic sleep parameters, sleepiness, insomnia severity, fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), anxiety, depression, and fatigue at 100 (T1), 150 (T2), and 180 days (T3) post-HSCT. Eight adults enrolled. Median total sleep time (TST) at T1–T3 days was adequate (7.24, 7.17, and 7.09 hours), but sleep efficiency (SE) was suboptimal (78.9%, 78.5%, 83.67%). Median Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores indicated minimal drowsiness and subclinical insomnia at T1–T3. Median FCR Inventory (FCRI) scores indicate diminishing FCR over time. Median scores across time for anxiety (48.05, 50.2, and 44.1) and depression (44.9, 41, and 41) suggest moderate–mild distress with slight fluctuations. Surprisingly, fatigue scores increased from T1–T3 (46, 50.9, and 52.1). Increases in ISI and FCRI scores were associated with modest increases in anxiety. Findings suggest the need to evaluate and address sleep, psychological distress, and fatigue in HSCT recipients. Larger studies to confirm prevalence of SWD and association with psychological factors are warranted.

Objective and subjective physical function in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

We conducted a prospective study of adult allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients to assess pre- and post-HCT physical function. Baseline measurements included a wrist actigraphy, a 6 min walk test (6MWT), an international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ), and a Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) as well as serial post-HCT assessments of 6MWT, IPAQ, and FACT-BMT. Forty-seven patients were evaluable for functionality assessments, with a median follow-up of 54.5 months for surviving recipients. No patients demonstrated vigorous or very vigorous activity at any time during monitoring by wrist actigraphy; patients spent a median of 6 h daily sedentary. Self-reported activity via the IPAQ showed 36%, 43%, and 21% of subjects reporting light, moderate, and vigorous activity prior to HCT, respectively. Post-HCT 6MWTs on day +30 demonstrated the greatest association with subsequent survival and non-relapse mortality. A decline in 6MWT distance over time also demonstrated worsened overall survival. This study shows the feasibility of fitness assessments and the ability to risk stratify for subsequent mortality, particularly using the 6MWT on the day +30 single time point assessment and change scores from baseline to day +30 post HCT. These pilot findings suggest important targets for future study.

Prognostic Impact of Pretransplantation Quality of Life and Its Post-Transplantation Longitudinal Change after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Prospective Study That Administered the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) and EuroQol 5

In allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), investigator-based clinical variables have been used for pretransplantation prognostic prediction, risk adjustment, and post-transplantation long-term screenings. Although several studies have investigated the prognostic significance of pretransplantation patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and longitudinal trends in PROs after allo-HCT, few have assessed these outcomes using the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) and EuroQol 5 Dimension (EQ-5D) index. The present study used 18 items from the SF-12 and EQ-5D index to evaluate the prognostic impact of pretransplantation quality of life (QOL) on allo-HCT outcomes and longitudinal changes in QOL in allo-HCT recipients. This single-center prospective study included consecutive patients who underwent allo-HCT at our center between October 2014 and September 2016. All participants were followed up until October 2017. The SF-12 and EQ-5D index were administered to assess patient-reported QOL before allo-HCT and at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after allo-HCT when participants visited the long-term follow-up clinic. Longitudinal trends in the QOL-adjusted means were estimated using linear mixed-effects, adjusting for pretransplantation covariates and reasons for missing QOL data. Among 157 patients who underwent allo-HCT, 145 (92%) were registered in this study, and 143 with available QOL data were analyzed. The median pretransplantation scores were 45.3 for the SF-12 physical component score (PCS), 55.6 for the mental component score (MCS), 38.8 for the role/social component score (RCS), 70.0 for the visual analog scale (VAS), and 49.0 for the EQ-5D index. Overall survival (OS) was significantly improved in patients with higher pretransplantation scores on the PCS, RCS, and EQ-5D index, and multivariable analyses showed that the median pretransplantation RCS was significantly associated with OS after allo-HCT (hazard ratio, 3.66; P = .003). The longitudinal trends in the SF-12 score showed that the PCS was improved at 2 years after allo-HCT and was comparable to the normative score for the general population. The MCS remained comparable to or higher than the normative score after allo-HCT. The RCS improved significantly beginning at 6 months after allo-HCT but remained lower than the normative score at 2 years. The VAS and EQ-5D index values showed a drop at 3 months after allo-HCT. Patient-reported QOL assessed by 18 questions on the SF-12 and EQ-5D predicted prognosis, and may be used as a prognosticator to determine treatment strategies, including preparative regimens. Although we experienced a certain amount of patient attrition in the longitudinal follow-up of QOL data, we demonstrated characteristic trajectories of QOL in different domains after adjusting for background covariates and reasons for the lack of QOL data. © 2021 American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Sarcopenia and low muscle radiodensity associate with impaired FEV1 in allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

BACKGROUND

Quantification of skeletal muscle using computed tomography (CT) is accessible using cancer patients' standard oncologic images. Reduced muscle mass may be related to reduced respiratory muscle strength; however, the impact of this on lung functional parameters is not characterized in adult allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloHCT) recipients.

METHODS

A consecutive retrospective series (n = 296) of patients who had alloHCT at a comprehensive cancer centre between March 2005 and April 2015 were included. Pre-transplant CT scans were used to quantify skeletal muscle and adipose tissue at the fourth thoracic (T4) and/or third lumbar (L3) level. Tumour and patient characteristics were recorded, including forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 ) by spirometry. Regression models were created to characterize predictive relationships.

RESULTS

A total of 296 patients (♂n = 161; ♀n = 135) were included, all of whom had chest CT as part of standard care; a subset of these (n = 215, 72.6%) also had abdominal CT. Diagnoses were non-Hodgkins lymphoma (n = 165), acute myeloid leukaemia (n = 66), Hodgkin's disease (n = 14), acute lymphocytic leukaemia (n = 14), myelodysplastic syndromes (n = 18), and other (n = 19). In multivariable linear regression adjusted for sex (P < 0.0001), age (P < 0.0001), haematopoietic cell transplantation-specific co-morbidity index (P = 0.010), and parameters of pulmonary function testing (defined by spirometry, P < 0.0001), both T4 muscle index [β 0.127 (95% confidence interval 0.019; 0.252), P < 0.0001] and T4 muscle radiodensity [β 0.132 (95% confidence interval 0.087; 0.505), P = 0.006] were independently associated with FEV1 ; disease risk index (P = 0.877) and Karnofsky performance status (P = 0.548) were not associated with FEV1 . Similar conclusions were obtained when L3 muscle index and radiodensity were considered. Unlike T4, L3 muscle index values can be compared with published cut-off values for sarcopenia. Overall rates of sarcopenia were uniformly higher in the HCT population than in age-matched and sex-matched patients with solid tumours [alloHCT ♂64.7% vs. solid tumour ♂56.6% (P < 0.001); alloHCT ♀57.6% vs. solid tumour ♀36.0% (P < 0.001)]. Significant but moderate correlations (P < 0.001) were found for muscle area and radiodensity between L3 and T4, for both men and women; adipose tissue quantity also correlated significantly (P < 0.001) between L3 and T4 for both men and women.

CONCLUSIONS

Lumbar or thoracic CT images are useful for body composition assessment in this population and reveal high rates of sarcopenia, similar to those reported in very elderly patients. Reduced muscle mass and radiodensity associate with impaired FEV1 even after adjustment for clinical covariables including co-morbidities, performance status, disease risk, and mild intrinsic pulmonary disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) defined by spirometry.

Long-term Follow-up of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Survivors: A Focus on Screening, Monitoring, and Therapeutics

Annually, ~50,000 patients undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) worldwide with almost 22,000 of these patients receiving HCT in the United States. HCT is a curative option for a wide range of hematologic malignancies, and advances in transplantation medicine have resulted in an increase in HCT survivors. It is anticipated that the number of HCT survivors will more than double from 242,000 in 2020 to ~500,000 in 2030. Survivors of HCT are at an increased risk of developing late complications due to exposure to chemotherapy and/or radiation in the pre-, peri-, and post-HCT phases and these cumulative exposures have the potential to damage normal tissue. This tissue damage leads to the early onset of chronic health conditions resulting in premature mortality in HCT survivors, who have a 15-year cumulative incidence of severe or life-threatening chronic health conditions exceeding 40%. Due to the significant burden of morbidity in HCT survivors and the delay in the development of long-term complications, this delicate patient population requires life-long monitoring due to the risk for neuropsychological, cardiac, pulmonary, renal, hepatic, ocular, skeletal, cardiac, endocrine, fertility, and sexual health complications, as well as secondary neoplasms. This review will focus on recent advances in screening, monitoring, and therapeutics for late-occurring or long-term complications in HCT survivors.

Comparison of efficacy and health-related quality of life of first-line haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with unrelated cord blood infusion and first-line immunosuppressive therapy for acquired severe aplastic anemia

We retrospectively compared the efficacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of (1) first-line haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT, n = 146) combined with unrelated cord blood (UCB) infusion and (2) first-line immunosuppressive therapy (IST, n = 219) in acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients. At 6 months post treatment, 90.30% patients in the haplo-HSCT group and 18.78% patients in the IST group achieved normal blood routine (P < 0.0001). The time required to discontinue red blood cells and platelets transfusion in the IST group were longer than in the haplo-HSCT group (P < 0.0001). The estimated overall survival at 4 years was similar (80.1 ± 3.5% vs. 80.1 ± 3.0%, P = 0.726); the estimated failure-free survival (FFS) at 4 years was 77.8 ± 3.7% in the haplo-HSCT group and 48.0 ± 3.6% in the IST group (P < 0.0001). Patients treated with haplo-HSCT scored significantly better in the HRQoL than treated with IST (P < 0.0001). In the multivariate analysis, first-line haplo-HSCT was the favorable factor for FFS and HRQoL (P < 0.0001). These results suggest that first-line haplo-HSCT combined with UCB infusion might provide a better chance of success and HRQoL than first-line IST for SAA patients.

A mixed methods analysis of perceived cognitive impairment in hematopoietic stem cell transplant survivors

OBJECTIVE

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors may show evidence of objective cognitive impairment; however, perceived cognitive problems and their impact on quality of life are less well-understood. The purpose of this study was to explore HSCT survivors' perceptions of cognitive impairment and its effect on daily life functioning.

METHOD

Sixty-nine autologous and allogeneic HSCT survivors nine months to three years posttransplant experiencing mild survivorship problems completed a brief structured interview regarding perceived cognitive impairment since transplant. Data were coded and content analyzed. The frequency of participants reporting cognitive problems by domain and associations between reports of cognitive problems and age, depressed mood, anxiety, and health-related quality of life were examined.

RESULT

Overall, 49 of the 69 participants (71%) reported cognitive impairments after transplant: 38 in memory (55%), 29 in attention and concentration (42%), and smaller numbers in other domains. There were no significant differences in problems reported by transplant type. Of the 50 participants who worked before transplant, 19 (38%) did not return to work following transplant, with 12 citing cognitive and health problems as being the reason. There were significant associations between reports of cognitive impairment and younger age (p = 0.02), depressed mood (p = 0.02), anxiety (p = 0.002), and health-related quality of life (p = 0.008).

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

A large proportion of survivors reported cognitive impairment following HSCT that impaired daily life functioning. Perceived cognitive impairment was associated with younger age, greater distress and reduced health-related quality of life.

Measurement of patient-reported outcomes. 1: The search for the Holy Grail

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used to collect information directly from patients. They may cover several different types of outcomes ranging from symptoms, functioning, utility, satisfaction, through to quality-of-life (QoL). They generally consist of self-completed questionnaires that can be administered by means of hard copies or in a range of electronic formats. PROMs vary considerably in terms of the constructs they assess, the care with which they are developed, and their scientific quality. However, none of the PROMs available approach the quality of measurement achieved by measures/instruments used in physics. PROs are examples of latent variables. These are not directly observable, but can be inferred from, for example, responses to a questionnaire. The only measure of a latent variable that approaches the quality of measurement achieved by the physical sciences is the Lexile Framework for Reading. This framework is based on a construct theory that grew out of an analysis of several available reading measures. A specification equation was generated that was able to link the construct theory to scores obtained with the Lexile measure. A fundamental requirement of this quality of measurement is that the data collected with the model fit Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT). It is argued that PROM developers should aspire to match this level of measurement sophistication if their instruments are to provide valid insights into the impacts of disease and its treatment.

Fatigue predicts impaired social adjustment in survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT)

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to examine social adjustment to illness and to identify factors related to social adjustment in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) survivors.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data were drawn from a longitudinal study of patients ≥ 3 years after their first HCT. The five subscales of the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS) that reflect social adjustment, specifically vocational environment (VE); domestic environment (DE); sexual relationships (SEX); extended family relationships (ER); and social environment (SE) were examined in this analysis. Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) measured cancer-related fatigue.

RESULTS

Subjects (N = 171) were a median of 5.19 years from HCT (range 3-16). The most impaired dimension of social adjustment was ER with 38% of participants reaching clinically relevant (score ≥ 62) levels of social maladjustment. Unmarried and unemployed participants had lower levels of social adjustment in VE (p < .001 and p < .001, respectively) and DE (p = .004 and p = .006, respectively). Survivors with some college had poorer SEX adjustment than those with less or more education (p < .005). Hispanics reported lower adjustment with respect to ER adjustment (p = .002). Participants with higher fatigue had poorer adjustment in all five dimensions (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the majority of survivors are well adjusted, subgroups may experience significant poor social adjustment. Specifically, survivors with fatigue are at risk to experience lower levels of social adjustment. Development of effective rehabilitation strategies to improve affected areas of social health is warranted, and all HCT survivors should be screened periodically for social maladjustment and provided with resources and referrals.

Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation for multiple myeloma: a systematic review and meta-analysis from 2007 to 2017

Background

Despite recent advances, multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable. However, the appearance of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) through graft-versus-myeloma effect provides a potential way to cure MM to some degree. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the outcome of patients receiving allo-SCT and identified a series of prognostic factors that may affect the outcome of allo-SCT.

Patients/methods

We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from 2007.01.01 to 2017.05.03 using the keywords ‘allogeneic’ and ‘myeloma’.

Results

A total of 61 clinical trials involving 8698 adult patients were included. The pooled estimates (95% CI) for overall survival (OS) at 1, 2, 3 and 5 years were 70 (95% CI 56–84%), 62 (95% CI 53–71%), 52 (95% CI 44–61%), and 46 (95% CI 40–52%), respectively; for progression-free survival were 51 (95% CI 38–64%), 40 (95% CI 32–48%), 34 (95% CI 27–41%), and 27 (95% CI 23–31%), respectively; and for treatment-related mortality (TRM) were 18 (95% CI 14–21%), 21 (95% CI 17–25%), 20 (95% CI 13–26%), and 27 (95% CI 21–33%), respectively. Additionally, the pooled 100-day TRM was 12 (95% CI 5–18%). The incidences of grades II–IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and chronic GVHD were 34 (95% CI 30–37%) and 51 (95% CI 46–56%), respectively. The incidences of relapse rate (RR) and death rate were 50 (95% CI 45–55%) and 51 (95% CI 45–57%), respectively. Importantly, disease progression was the most major cause of death (48%), followed by TRM (44%). The results failed to show an apparent benefit of allo-SCT for standard risk patients, compared with tandem auto-SCT. In contrast, all 14 trials in our study showed that patients with high cytogenetic risk after allo-SCT had similar OS and PFS compared to those with standard risk, suggesting that allo-SCT may overcome the adverse prognosis of high cytogenetic risk.

Conclusion

Due to the lack of consistent survival benefit, allo-SCT should not be considered as a standard of care for newly diagnosed and relapsed standard-risk MM patients. However, for patients with high-risk MM who have a poor long-term prognosis, allo-SCT may be a strong consideration in their initial course of therapy or in first relapse after chemotherapy, when the risk of disease progression may outweigh the transplant-related risks. A large number of prospective randomized controlled trials were needed to prove the benefits of these therapeutic options.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12935-018-0553-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Depression and anxiety following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a prospective population-based study in Germany

In this prospective multicenter study, we investigated the course of depression and anxiety during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) until 5 years after transplantation adjusting for medical information. Patients were consulted before HSCT (n=239), at 3 months (n=150), 12 months (n=102) and 5 years (n=45) after HSCT. Depression and anxiety were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Detailed medical and demographic information was collected. Prevalence rates were compared with an age- and gender-matched control group drawn from a large representative sample (n=4110). The risk of depression before HSCT was lower for patients than for the control group (risk ratio (RR), 0.56; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.39/0.81). Prevalence rates of depression increased from 12 to 30% until 5 years post HSCT. Anxiety rates were most frequently increased before HSCT (29%, RR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.02/1.68) and then reached a stable level comparable to the background population (RR 0.83, 95% CI, 0.56/1.22). This study confirms the low levels of depression in the short term after HSCT and identifies depression as a long-term effect. Furthermore, it confirms previous results of heightened anxiety before HSCT. Surveillance of symptoms of anxiety during the short-term phase of HSCT and of depression during the following years is crucial.

"From Snail Mode to Rocket Ship Mode": Adolescents and Young Adults' Experiences of Returning to Work and School After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

PURPOSE

Resuming normal activities, such as work and school, is an important dimension of psychosocial recovery in cancer survivorship. Minimal data exist regarding adolescents or young adults' experiences of returning to school or work after cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore the processes of resuming work and school among adolescents and young adults after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).

METHODS

In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 adolescents and young adults, who were 15-29 years when they underwent HCT and 6-60 months post-transplant at study enrollment. Interview transcripts were systematically analyzed using Grounded Theory methodology.

RESULTS

Participants described the context in which they attempted to return to work or school, specific challenges they faced, and strategies they developed in these environments. Feeling left behind from their peers and their pre-diagnosis selves, participants described "rushing" back to school and work impulsively, taking on too much too quickly while facing overwhelming physical and cognitive demands. Factors motivating this sense of urgency as well as barriers to successful and sustainable reentry in these settings are also addressed.

CONCLUSION

Findings are discussed in the context of important opportunities for clinical management, age-appropriate interventions, and implications for future research. A better understanding of psychosocial late effects, specifically related to school and work trajectories after cancer, is critical to survivorship care for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

Decision analysis of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome stratified according to the revised International Prognostic Scoring System

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) represents the only curative treatment for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), but involves non-negligible morbidity and mortality. Crucial questions in clinical decision-making include the definition of optimal timing of the procedure and the benefit of cytoreduction before transplant in high-risk patients. We carried out a decision analysis on 1728 MDS who received supportive care, transplantation or hypomethylating agents (HMAs). Risk assessment was based on the revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R). We used a continuous-time multistate Markov model to describe the natural history of disease and evaluate the effect of different treatment policies on survival. Life expectancy increased when transplantation was delayed from the initial stages to intermediate IPSS-R risk (gain-of-life expectancy 5.3, 4.7 and 2.8 years for patients aged ⩽55, 60 and 65 years, respectively), and then decreased for higher risks. Modeling decision analysis on IPSS-R versus original IPSS changed transplantation policy in 29% of patients, resulting in a 2-year gain in life expectancy. In advanced stages, HMAs given before transplant is associated with a 2-year gain-of-life expectancy, especially in older patients. These results provide a preliminary evidence to maximize the effectiveness of allo-SCT in MDS.

Trajectories of Quality of Life after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Secondary Analysis of Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network 0902 Data

Quality of life is increasingly recognized as an important secondary endpoint of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The current study examined the extent to which attrition results in biased estimates of patient quality of life. The study also examined whether patients differ in terms of trajectories of quality of life in the first 6 months after transplantation. A secondary data analysis was conducted of 701 participants who enrolled in the Blood and Marrow Transplantation Clinical Trials Network 0902 trial. Participants completed the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36, a measure of quality of life, before undergoing transplantation and again 100 days and 180 days after transplantation. Results indicated that attrition resulted in slightly biased overestimates of quality of life but the amount of overestimation remained stable over time. Patients could be grouped into 3 distinct classes based on physical quality of life: (1) low and stable; (2) average and declining, then stable; and (3) average and stable. Four classes of patients emerged for mental quality of life: (1) low and stable; (2) average, improving, then stable; (3) higher than average (by almost 1 SD) and stable; and (4) average and stable. Taken together, these data provide a more comprehensive understanding of quality of life that can be used to educate HCT recipients and their caregivers.

Sleep Patterns During Hospitalization Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

To characterize patient-reported and objective sleep assessments and provide a preliminary examination of the relationships among sleep, quality of life, and demographic or treatment factors.

DESIGN

A secondary data analysis using a descriptive-correlational design.

SETTING

University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System.

SAMPLE

40 patients undergoing a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) hospitalized for the conditioning regimen, stem cell infusion, and immediate recovery period.

METHODS

Each patient wore a wrist actigraph continuously from the fourth day following HCT to the eighth day to objectively assess sleep patterns (total sleep time, sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, wake after sleep onset, and number of awakenings). At the end of the five-day period, patients completed measures of sleep disturbance and quality of life.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES

Objective sleep (total sleep time, sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, wake after sleep onset, and number of awakenings), subjective sleep (sleep disturbance), and quality of life.

FINDINGS

The mean total nighttime sleep (objectively obtained) was 232 minutes (SD = 71 minutes), with 14 patients (35%) sleeping less than three consecutive hours during one or more study days. Age was negatively correlated with patient-reported sleep disturbance. Patient-reported sleep disturbance was significantly associated with length of hospital stay. No correlations were found between patient-reported and objective sleep assessments.

CONCLUSIONS

This study objectively documents inadequate and irregular sleep in hospitalized patients undergoing HCT. Sole reliance on patient-reported sleep assessments may not represent the full extent of the problem.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Attempts to streamline care during the night by not waking patients for routine care unless indicated by the patient's condition (as advocated by the American Academy of Nursing) and providing supportive care for symptoms (such as diarrhea) during the night may reduce the number of awakenings and possibly improve overall sleep quality.

Trajectories of quality of life in patients with traumatic limb injury: a 2-year follow-up study

PURPOSE

Traumatic limb injury (TLI) can have a negative impact on a patient's quality of life (QOL), and the patient's QOL may fluctuate over time. However, the longitudinal change patterns of QOL in patients with TLI are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the QOL trajectories in patients with TLI in 4 QOL domains: physical capacity, psychological well-being, social relationships, and environment.

METHODS

The patients' QOL was assessed within 14 days and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after injury. In each QOL domain, 4 latent growth curve models (LGMs, including non-growth, linear growth, quadratic growth, and cubic LGM) were adopted to examine the QOL trajectories across the 6 time points.

RESULTS

A total of 499 patients completed the 6 assessments. For all 4 QOL domains, the cubic LGM had the best model fitting (root-mean-square error of approximation < 0.01) revealing that the patients' 4 QOL domains changed with cubic trajectories: QOL improved in the first 6 months, deteriorated in the second 6 months, and improved smoothly at 12-24 months after injury.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that the trajectories in the 4 QOL domains were cubic trajectories in patients with TLI. These findings indicate that clinicians should pay additional attention to improve the patients' QOL in the first 6 months after injury and to prevent or reduce QOL deterioration at 6-12 months.

The impact of allogeneic-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation on patients' and close relatives' quality of life and relationships

PURPOSE

Although evidence suggests considerable disruption to families, the impact of allo-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) on patients' partners and close relatives has not been sufficiently explored. The present mixed-methods study aimed to enlighten allo-HSCT effects on patients' and close relatives' quality of life (QOL) and their relationships.

METHODS

Patients who received allo-HSCT between 2007 and 2010 (N = 58) and their close relatives (parents, partners and/or adult children) were asked to respond to an anonymous questionnaire including socio-demographic data, Likert-scale of the impact of HSCT on sexual, couple, family, professional and social life, as well as on perceived support. QOL of patients and close relatives was evaluated (by the FACT-BMT and by WHO-QOL-bref) as were the adjustments of the couples (patients/partners by the DAS). In-depth interviews were performed with patients and partners who consented to this proposition.

RESULTS

Patients (N = 28) and close relatives (N = 48) reported fatigue, sleep and sexual problems, emotional distress and relationship difficulties. Patients were mainly concerned with « being a burden » to their close relatives. Close relatives' main concerns were changes in marital and family dynamics, disruptions in daily routine tasks and the responsibility for being the main provider of physical and emotional care. These difficulties increased after HSCT - notably when patients have to face the long-term consequences of the procedure.

CONCLUSION

HSCT has a negative impact on patients' partners and other close relatives' QOL. Data on this topic is still scarce and this study might pave the way for future research in this field and notably guide psychosocial interventions.

Exploring long-term cancer survivors' experiences in the career and financial domains: Interviews with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients

Using semi-structured interviews with 50 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients who were 2 to 22 years post-transplant, this study investigates cancer survivors' interpretations of their economic and work-related experiences during and after treatment. Survivors described a variety of challenges in these areas, including job insecurity, discrimination, career derailment, the lack of career direction, delayed goals, financial losses, insurance difficulties, constraints on job mobility, and physical/mental limitations. Survivors described the ways these challenges were offset by external factors that helped them to navigate these difficulties and buffered the negative financial and career-related impacts. Good health insurance, favorable job characteristics, job accommodations, and financial buffers were prominent offsetting factors. Most survivors, however, were also forced to rely on individual behavioral and interpretative strategies to cope with challenges. Behavioral strategies included purposeful job moves, retraining, striving harder, and retiring. Some strategies were potentially problematic, such as acquiring large debt. Interpretive strategies included reprioritizing and value shifts, downplaying the magnitude of cancer impact on one's life, denying the causal role of cancer in negative events, making favorable social comparisons, and benefit finding. Post-treatment counseling and support services may assist survivors in identifying available resources and useful strategies to improve long-term adaptation in the career and financial realms.

Prognostic significance of pre-transplant quality of life in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients

Quality of life (QOL) is an important outcome for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients. Whether pre-HCT QOL adds prognostic information to patient and disease related risk factors has not been well described. We investigated the association of pre-HCT QOL with relapse, non-relapse mortality (NRM), and overall mortality after allogeneic HCT. From 2003 to 2012, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant Scale instrument was administered before transplantation to 409 first allogeneic HCT recipients. We examined the association of the three outcomes with (1) individual QOL domains, (2) trial outcome index (TOI) and (3) total score. In multivariable models with individual domains, functional well-being (hazard ratio (HR) 0.95, P=0.025) and additional concerns (HR 1.39, P=0.002) were associated with reduced risk of relapse, no domain was associated with NRM, and better physical well-being was associated with reduced risk of overall mortality (HR 0.97, P=0.04). TOI was not associated with relapse or NRM but was associated with reduced risk of overall mortality (HR 0.93, P=0.05). Total score was not associated with any of the three outcomes. HCT-comorbidity index score was prognostic for greater risk of relapse and mortality but not NRM. QOL assessments, particularly physical functioning and functional well-being, may provide independent prognostic information beyond standard clinical measures in allogeneic HCT recipients.

Sleep quality following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: longitudinal trajectories and biobehavioral correlates

The present study examined changes in sleep quality following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and investigated associations with biobehavioral factors. Individuals undergoing HSCT for hematologic malignancies (N=228) completed measures of sleep quality and psychological symptoms pre-transplant and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-transplant. Circulating inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) were also assessed. Sleep quality was poorest at one month post-transplant, improving and remaining relatively stable after 3 months post-transplant. However, approximately half of participants continued to experience significant sleep disturbance at 6 and 12 months post-transplant. Mixed-effects linear regression models indicated that depression and anxiety were associated with poorer sleep quality, while psychological well-being was associated with better sleep. Higher circulating levels of IL-6 were also linked with poorer sleep. Subject-level fixed effects models demonstrated that among individual participants, changes in depression, anxiety, and psychological well-being were associated with corresponding changes in sleep after covarying for the effects of time since transplant. Sleep disturbance was most severe when depression and anxiety were greatest, and psychological well-being was lowest. Findings indicate that sleep disturbance is a persistent problem during the year following HSCT. Patients experiencing depression or anxiety and those with elevated inflammation may be at particular risk for poor sleep.

Exercise and stress management training prior to hematopoietic cell transplantation: Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) 0902

Studies show that engaging patients in exercise and/or stress management techniques during hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) improves quality of life. The Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network tested the efficacy of training patients to engage in self-directed exercise and stress management during HCT. The study randomized 711 patients at 21 centers to receive 1 of 4 training interventions before HCT: a self-directed exercise program, a self-administered stress management program, both, or neither. Participants completed self-reported assessments at enrollment and up to 180 days after HCT. Randomization was stratified by center and transplant type. There were no differences in the primary endpoints of the Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary scales of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 at day +100 among the groups, based on an intention-to-treat analysis. There also were no differences in overall survival, days of hospitalization through day +100 post-HCT, or in other patient-reported outcomes, including treatment-related distress, sleep quality, pain, and nausea. Patients randomized to training in stress management reported more use of those techniques, but patients randomized to training in exercise did not report more physical activity. Although other studies have reported efficacy of more intensive interventions, brief training in an easy-to-disseminate format for either self-directed exercise or stress management was not effective in our trial.

Cross-sectional study of patient-reported neurobehavioral problems following hematopoietic stem cell transplant and health-related quality of life

OBJECTIVE

Although hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients may experience neurocognitive impairment, experiences of neurobehavioral problems (including apathy and disinhibition) are understudied. These experiences reflect behavioral signs and symptoms of neurological dysfunction that can potentially reduce health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Understanding them is important because they may be confused with other diagnoses, including depression, potentially leading to inappropriate treatments. The objectives of this preliminary cross-sectional study were to describe HSCT patients' neurobehavioral functioning pre-HSCT and post-HSCT and to examine relations with HRQOL.

METHODS

Patients (n = 42) 9 months to 3 years post-HSCT completed measures of neurobehavioral functioning to report apathy and disinhibition pre-HSCT (retrospectively) and post-HSCT (currently). Paired t-tests and McNemar tests were used to explore differences in the incidence of patient-reported neurobehavioral problems within and across time points. Regression analyses were conducted to examine relations between neurobehavioral functioning and physical and mental HRQOL.

RESULTS

Elevated levels of apathy were reported by many patients post-HSCT (36%) and increased significantly from pre-HSCT to post-HSCT (p = 0.001). Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that higher levels of apathy were associated with reduced mental HRQOL (p < 0.05) even after controlling for depressed mood and fatigue.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this preliminary study highlight the importance of investigating neurobehavioral problems, particularly apathy, in HSCT patients. Because apathy is often confused with other diagnoses and may worsen HRQOL, understanding the nature of these symptoms has implications for interventions. Further research is needed in this important area.

Psychiatric and psychosocial challenges in patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplants

Haematological malignancies are often treated with haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT). The disease and its treatment are challenging and life threatening, as they not only affect the recipients, but also their families. This review highlights the available data on the psychological, psychiatric and social impact of these illnesses and their treatment on recipients and families. There are robust data that correlate HSCT with emotional distress, as emotional and physical functioning significantly affect quality of life. Psychiatric co-morbidity including anxiety, depression, adjustment and post-traumatic stress disorder, delirium and cognitive deficits have been reported at different stages in the transplant process. This review will highlight the psychosocial and clinical research findings relevant to HSCT patients and will summarize recommendations for future psychosocial research in this population.

Health-related quality of life of patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia treated with allogeneic hematopoietic SCT versus imatinib

To evaluate and compare the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with newly diagnosed CML in the first chronic phase (CML-CP1) receiving HLA-identical sibling donor (ISD) hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) or imatinib, a cross-sectional study that was part of a prospective cohort study at the Institute of Hematology, Peking University was performed. A total of 222 patients including 126 and 96 in the imatinib and ISD HSCT groups, respectively, were enrolled. HRQOL was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. The ISD HSCT group functioned significantly better on the role-physical functioning and mental health subscales, as well as the mental component summary (MCS) than the imatinib group. HRQOL was generally comparable to groups in the young population. Multivariate analysis showed that white blood cell count ≥ 30 × 10(9)/L and plts count ≥ 450 × 10(9)/L were the major adverse factors affecting HRQOL in long-term survivors. Imatinib therapy was also an adverse factor affecting the MCS (odds ratio=1.7, P=0.032). Thus, long-term CML-CP1 survivors receiving ISD HSCT can attain desirable HRQOL comparable to or better than that of patients receiving imatinib.

Patient education in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant: what patients wish they had known about quality of life

Quality of life (QOL) is increasingly recognized as an important clinical outcome of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), but patient education is often overlooked. The goal of the current qualitative study was to examine education regarding post-HCT QOL from the patient’s perspective. Allogeneic HCT recipients participated in one of four focus groups. Participants were asked to recall what they had been told about post-HCT QOL as they were preparing for transplant, how their QOL differed from what they expected, and how to educate future patients about post-HCT QOL. Verbatim transcripts were coded for both a priori and emergent themes using content analysis. A total of 24 patients participated (54% female, mean age 51, range 23-73). Participants frequently expressed the desire for additional education regarding post-HCT QOL, particularly late complications. They noted that late complications were often unexpected, had a profound impact on their QOL, and threatened their ongoing sense of recovery. They emphasized that the timing, content, and format of education regarding QOL should be flexible to meet their diverse needs. Findings from the current study draw attention to the importance of patient education regarding post-HCT QOL as well as additional QOL research designed with patient education in mind.

Optimal timing of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) represents the only curative treatment for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), but involves non-negligible morbidity and mortality. Registry studies have shown that advanced disease stage at transplantation is associated with inferior overall survival. To define the optimal timing of allogeneic HSCT, we carried out a decision analysis by studying 660 patients who received best supportive care and 449 subjects who underwent transplantation. Risk assessment was based on both the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) and the World Health Organization classification-based Prognostic Scoring System (WPSS). We used a continuous-time multistate Markov model to describe the natural history of disease and evaluate the effect of allogeneic HSCT on survival. This model estimated life expectancy from diagnosis according to treatment policy at different risk stages. Relative to supportive care, estimated life expectancy increased when transplantation was delayed from the initial stages until progression to intermediate-1 IPSS-risk or to intermediate WPSS-risk stage, and then decreased for higher risks. Modeling decision analysis on WPSS versus IPSS allowed better estimation of the optimal timing of transplantation. These observations indicate that allogeneic HSCT offers optimal survival benefits when the procedure is performed before MDS patients progress to advanced disease stages.

Quality of life, social challenges, and psychosocial support for long-term survivors after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation

Over the last two decades quality of life (QoL) and the social challenges of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) survivors have been emerging as subjects of extensive research and are now considered as very important aspects in the pretransplant evaluation and management of allo-HSCT recipients. Recognition of QoL challenges in allo-HSCT survivors allows timely interventions leading to improvement of post-transplant outcomes. It needs to be recognized that long-lasting life changes associated with survivorship after allo-HSCT also significantly affect QoL of partners of allo-HSCT survivors. Currently, resources should be focused on how research findings can be used by patients, their partners, and physicians to optimize QoL and psychosocial adjustment.

Symptoms and quality of life in diverse patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

CONTEXT

Symptoms and quality of life (QOL) are critically important in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, few studies have examined these factors by transplant type among diverse cultures.

OBJECTIVES

To identify and compare QOL and symptom severity and prevalence by transplant type in a diverse population having HSCT.

METHODS

The M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory Blood and Marrow Transplantation (MDASI-BMT) module measured symptom severity and its impact. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) measured QOL.

RESULTS

Symptom data were collected from 164 patients at eight points (pretransplant to 100 days post-transplant) and QOL data at four times. Over time, symptom severity was significantly correlated with QOL and patients who had allogeneic transplants with myeloablative regimens showed more severe sleep disturbance and poorer QOL than patients having autologous transplants. Male patients reported less fatigue than female patients. However, ethnicity was not significant. Patients whose functional status was good had fewer of the five worst symptoms and higher QOL than patients with a poor functional status. Patients with acute graft-versus-host disease had more severe symptoms than those who did not.

CONCLUSION

Type of transplant and preparative regimen are the most important aspects to consider when managing symptoms and QOL. This information is important for providing anticipatory guidance and support needed during the transplantation experience, to explore in future research the mechanisms involved in symptoms after HSCT, and to develop additional effective interventions.

Patients receiving HLA-haploidentical/partially matched related allo-HSCT can achieve desirable health-related QoL that is comparable to that of patients receiving HLA-identical sibling allo-HSCT

To investigate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (allo-HSCT) from HLA-haploidentical/partially matched related donors (HID/PMRD) and to compare this value with that of patients receiving allo-HSCT from HLA-identical sibling donor (ISD), a total of 350 patients receiving allo-HSCT were enrolled in a study (ISD: 173; HID/PMRD: 177). HRQoL post transplantation was evaluated by an SF-36 questionnaire. The effect of various factors on the HRQoL was analyzed through COX regression. Compared with the ISD group, patients in the HID/PMRD group had higher scores in physical functioning, general health, bodily pain, vitality and emotional role functioning, and these patients functioned significantly better on the physical and mental component summaries. Also, long-term survivors exhibit better HRQoL. Measured by multivariate analysis, extensive chronic GVHD was observed to have a strongly negative impact on patients' HRQoL, while male gender status, lower age when receiving allo-HSCT and returning to work or school were associated with positive impacts on at least one subscale. These results showed that the HRQoL of patients receiving HID/PMRD hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) is comparable to that of patients receiving ISD HSCT, and HLA disparity is not the factor affecting the HRQoL.

Influence of coping style on symptom interference among adult recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

To investigate the influence of coping style on interference caused by a variety of common post-treatment symptoms after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

DESIGN

Longitudinal; secondary analysis of data from the original study that examined health-related quality-of-life variables (e.g., depression, well-being) in adult patients treated with conventional bone marrow transplantation or depleted T-cell bone marrow transplantation.

SETTING

Fifteen university medical centers in the United States.

SAMPLE

105 adult recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

METHODS

Patients were assessed via telephone-based interviews for coping style at baseline and for symptom interference in daily living six months post-treatment.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES

Coping style and symptom interference.

FINDINGS

Neither age nor gender predicted symptom interference, with the exception of chronic graft-versus-host disease, where older patients experienced more interference at six months, and breathing symptoms, for which women experienced more interference than men at six months. Avoidant coping style at baseline predicted increased interference from symptoms, but emotion-focused and instrumental coping styles did not predict decreased interference.

CONCLUSIONS

A generalized avoidant coping style before treatment increased interference from common cancer symptoms six months after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

An intervention to teach alternate coping strategies should be implemented prior to treatment and tested for prevention of symptom-related life interference.

Adverse psychological outcomes in long-term survivors of hematopoietic cell transplantation: a report from the Bone Marrow Transplant Survivor Study (BMTSS)

Little information exists regarding long-term psychological health of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) survivors. Using resources offered by the Bone Marrow Transplant Survivor Study (BMTSS), we evaluated adverse psychological outcomes in 1065 long-term HCT survivors and a healthy comparison group composed of siblings. Psychological health status was evaluated using the Brief Symptom Inventory-18. Twenty-two percent of the HCT survivors reported adverse psychological outcomes, compared with 8% of the siblings. Exposure to prednisone was associated with psychological distress across all domains (anxiety, depression, and somatic distress). Fifteen percent of the HCT survivors reported somatic distress, representing an almost 3-fold higher risk comparing to siblings. Among survivors, in addition to low annual household income and self-reported poor health, having severe/life-threatening conditions and presence of active chronic GVHD were associated with a 2-fold increased risk for somatic distress. Seven percent of the HCT survivors expressed suicidal ideation; patients with higher scores on depression subscale were most vulnerable. This study demonstrates that somatic distress is the biggest challenge faced by survivors long after HCT. These results identify vulnerable subpopulations and provide patients, families, and healthcare providers with necessary information to plan for post-HCT needs many years after HCT.

Quality of life in patients before and after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation measured with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Core Questionnaire QLQ-C30

The EORTC Quality of Life Core Questionnaire QLQ-C30 is widely used, but no reference values are available for patients receiving HSCT. We retrieved data for 38 samples from 33 papers in English and German that provided evaluable information on QLQ-C30 scores (mean, s.d.) covering about 2800 patients. Results are presented as a table that provides reference data that allow QLQ-C30 scores at different points during the disease trajectory to be put in context. With respect to their central tendency and their variance, scores vary over time. Quality of life is lowest during inpatient time. About 1 year after HSCT, the pre-transplant level is reached. Physical functioning is the scale reaching the highest level of all scales. Fatigue, dyspnoea and insomnia are symptoms that remain at an elevated level and should thus be considered as persisting problems after HSCT. For the interpretation of differences between scores, a very conservative recommendation would be to set the s.d. at 30 points. Doing so, one could be quite sure of having found a clinically significant change if the difference of two scores exceeds 15 points. Differences below 5 points should be interpreted with caution.

Long-term recovery after hematopoietic cell transplantation: predictors of quality-of-life concerns

This prospective longitudinal study examined the quality of life (QOL) after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and identified risk factors of poor QOL in 312 adult autologous and allogeneic HCT patients. Physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being was assessed before HCT, 6 months, and 1, 2, and 3 years after HCT. For all HCT patients, physical QOL was stable from before to after HCT (P > .05); psychologic (P < .001), social (P < .001), and spiritual (P = .03) QOL improved at 6 months. Study noncompleters (because of illness or death) had worse QOL. Allogeneic patients reported worse physical and psychologic well-being (P < .05). Older patients reported worse physical but better social well-being regardless of HCT type (P < .05). Two or more domains were affected by race/ethnicity, household income, and education in autologous patients, and by body mass index (BMI), decline in BMI, primary diagnosis, and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in allogeneic patients (P < .05). At 3 years, 74% of HCT patients were employed full or part time. Older autologous patients with lower pre-HCT income were less likely to work (P < .05); allogeneic patients with chronic GVHD were less likely to work (P = .002). Multidisciplinary efforts to identify and support vulnerable subgroups after HCT need to be developed.

Health-related quality of life following haematopoietic cell transplantation: patient education, evaluation and intervention

Health-related quality of life (QOL) is a vital concern in the pre-treatment consent process and post-treatment care of recipients of haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We propose that comprehensive care of such patients requires an integration of knowledge of the impact of HCT on QOL, assessment of QOL, as well as resources available for intervention. This knowledge may significantly improve patient care when incorporated into daily clinical practice in the transplant setting. As a framework for this approach, this article reviews the literature on QOL after allogeneic and autologous HCT for adults with haematological malignancies. We then discuss evidence in support of the beneficial impact of clinical QOL assessment, and finally evaluate behavioural interventions that show promise to maintain or improve QOL after HCT.

Sexuality after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Severe sexual dysfunction and absence of sexual activity are common for long-term survivors of high-dose chemotherapy with or without total body irradiation and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). These treatments have known effects on gonadal function. Males and females develop abnormal hormone levels and in turn this affects sexual desire and genital organs. The sexual functioning questionnaire (SFQ), designed and tested with this population, has allowed improved understanding of the problems, quality of sexual response, and sexual behaviors in the HSCT population. Male and female HSCT survivors report more problems than age- and gender-matched healthy controls and these problems persist over time if not caught and treated early. Sexual dysfunction is a more striking problem for female survivors than males. Almost no high quality evidence supports the efficacy of interventions to treat sexual dysfunction in this population. However, promising medical and behavioral treatments are discussed for men and women.

Quality of life after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

High-dose therapy with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) offers effective control and potential cure of hematopoietic malignancies, but with the cost of associated morbidity that includes adverse effects on quality of life (QOL). A growing body of literature has characterized this impact. Longitudinal studies suggest early moderate impairments that largely return to pretransplantation levels by day 100; the majority of studies suggest that greater than 60% of patients report good to excellent QOL in years 1 to 4 after HCT. Comparisons of allogeneic HCT with autologous HCT and standard-dose chemotherapy suggest impairments in QOL and a different trajectory of recovery in allogeneic HCT, but these conclusions are limited by confounding variables. Cross-sectional studies suggest larger and more persistent decrements in QOL in comparison with matched noncancer controls and population normative data. Acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are significant threats to QOL. Behavioral interventions show promise to maintain or improve quality of life after allogeneic HCT. The review concludes with recommendations to investigators and clinicians as the state of this research advances.

Long-term effects of high-dose chemotherapy and radiation for relapsed and refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma

PURPOSE

To evaluate the risk of late morbidity and mortality, and to assess long-term health-related quality of life (QOL) among patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) after high-dose chemoradiotherapy (HDT) and autologous stem-cell rescue (ASCR).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 1985 to 1998, 218 patients with HL were treated on HDT with ASCR salvage protocols. Of these 218, 153 (70%) who survived > or = 2 years after ASCR were evaluated for late morbidity and mortality from causes other than HL. QOL information was obtained through self-administered questionnaires. Risk ratios (RR) were calculated to compare observed second malignancy (SM) rates in this cohort with expected SM rates from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry.

RESULTS

Median follow-up after ASCR was 11.5 years. Among 153 patients, there were 53 deaths; 33 from HL and 20 from other causes. Thirteen deaths were caused by SM, with median time from ASCR to SM diagnosis of 9 years (range, 3 to 18 years). The RR of SM was 6.5 (95% CI, 3.6 to 10.7) when compared with the general population, but 2.4 (95% CI, 1.4 to 4.05) when compared with patients with HL. Global QOL of ASCR survivors was comparable with the general population, but for specific domains, respondents' scores indicated reduced functioning and worse symptoms.

CONCLUSION

HL accounts for most deaths among patients surviving HDT and ASCR. Survivors of ASCR had an elevated risk of SM compared with the cancer risk in the general population, but when compared with patients with HL in SEER, the risk was less pronounced.