In this retrospective analysis, researchers analyzed the outcomes of 15,059 unrelated donor transplants reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research) between 2000 and 2009. Outcomes before and after 2005 were analyzed for four patient cohorts: age <18 years with malignant diseases (n=1,920), 18-59 years with malignant diseases (n=9,575), ≥60 years with malignant diseases (n=2,194), and non-malignant diseases (n=1,370). Three-year overall survival in 2005-2009 was significantly better in all four cohorts compared to transplants in 2000-2004 (p<0.001 for all comparisons). The researchers noted that survival improvements were likely due to “better patient selection (e.g., HCT earlier in the disease course and lower disease risk), improved donor selection (e.g., more precise allele-level matched unrelated donors) and changes in transplant practices.”
Majhail NS, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant
Patient-level summary of this study