Unrelated donor HCT is underused in the U.S., according to a study comparing the number of patients transplanted using NMDP donors in 2007 with the estimated number of patients eligible for HCT in the same year. The researchers calculated the number of patients diagnosed with hematologic disorders age 20 to 74 years based on 2004-2008 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and 2007 U.S. Census data. After discounting the mortality rate during induction therapy and the rate of severe comorbidities, they estimated that 26% of patients eligible for HCT actually underwent transplantation. Percentages ranged from 11% for multiple myeloma to 54% for chronic myeloid leukemia.
Yao S, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant
Related article: Health care barriers for rural HCT recipients