A large-scale prospective observational study of 8,115 allogeneic and 11,652 autologous transplants has validated the prognostic utility of the hematopoietic cell transplantation-comorbidity index (HCT-CI). Researchers analyzed patients undergoing a first HCT in the United States between 2007 and 2009 whose outcomes were reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research). In proportional hazards models, increased HCT-CI scores were independently associated with increases in hazard ratios for non-relapse mortality (p<0.0001) and overall mortality (p<0.0001) among recipients of allogeneic HCT. HCT-CI scores of ≥3 were associated with higher risks for outcomes in both allogeneic and autologous HCT and in all subgroups, regardless of diagnoses, age, and conditioning intensity. The authors conclude that the HCT-CI “should be used as a valid standard-of-care health measure in counseling patients for HCT, in clinical trial design, and in adjusting outcome analyses.”
Sorror ML, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant