High-dose cyclophosphamide administered after peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation can reduce the risk of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), according to a single-center study of 43 patients. Median age of the patients was 43 years, and 12 (28%) received grafts from related donors and 31 (72%) received grafts from unrelated donors. Cyclophosphamide was given at 50 mg/kg of patient weight per day on days 3 and 4 after transplantation, followed by cyclosporine starting on day 5. The cumulative 1-year incidence of chronic GVHD was 16%, which the authors note is substantially lower than the approximately 35% rate of 1-year chronic GVHD reported historically after PBSC transplantation.
Reduced Risk of Chronic GVHD with Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide
Apr 2016