Quality of Life Better After Marrow Transplant Than After PBSC Transplant

A secondary analysis of the large-scale (n=551) Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) randomized study of unrelated donor bone marrow (BM) vs. peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplant has found that BM recipients have better psychological well-being and less burdensome chronic GVHD symptoms than PBSC recipients. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were collected from patients >16 years old at time of enrollment, and at 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 years after transplantation.

There were no differences in any of the primary quality of life (QoL) scores in the first two years after HCT using univariate comparisons. At 5 years, however, the MHI Psychological Well-Being and the chronic GVHD symptom scale scores were significantly better for BM patients (p<0.0125).

Of the 7 chronic GVHD subscales, symptoms in the eye, lung, and energy were significantly better with BM (p<0.01). In addition, at 5 years post-transplant, PBSC recipients were 50% more likely to have returned to work than were bone marrow recipients.

Lee SJ, et al. Blood


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