Impact of GvHD on quality of life in long-term survivors of haematopoietic transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2010 Oct;45(10):1534-9. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2010.5. Epub 2010 Mar 15.

Abstract

Allogenic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) has become an effective therapy in patients with various haematological malignancies. GvHD is known to be a major complication in this patient group and is assumed to have a major impact on patients' quality of life (QOL). Patients after BMT or transplantation of mobilized PBSCs were considered for enrolment in the study 6 months after transplantation. QOL and symptom burden were assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-HDC29. Data from age- and sex-matched healthy controls were collected for comparison. In all, 100 patients (55.0% women; mean age 46.3 years) after allogeneic HCT were included in the study. In this patient group, we found a clinically relevant impact of GvHD on role functioning, global QOL, fatigue, dyspnoea, gastrointestinal side effects, worries/anxiety and skin problems. In comparison to healthy controls, various aspects of QOL were severely impaired. Our study revealed severe impairments of QOL in survivors of HCT, in particular in those suffering from GvHD. Taking into account, that the prevalence of GvHD might be higher in patients after PBSCT compared with patients after BMT, PBSCT is expected to lead to more severe impairments of QOL than BMT.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Austria
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / adverse effects
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / psychology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft vs Host Disease / physiopathology*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / psychology*
  • Hematologic Neoplasms / therapy
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / methods
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects
  • Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / psychology
  • Quality of Life*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Survivors* / psychology
  • Time Factors
  • Young Adult