Biology of blood and marrow transplantation : journal of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
-
Biol. Blood Marrow Transplant. · Jan 2012
ReviewSupportive care of hematopoietic cell transplant patients.
Hematopoietic cell transplant survivors face a number of challenges including low energy and stamina, "chemo-brain" and emotional distress, and late effects that can compromise functioning or lead to early mortality. This session will review the most recent interventions and recommendations to avoid or mitigate these complications.
-
Biol. Blood Marrow Transplant. · Jan 2011
ReviewStem cell transplantation for indolent lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
The indolent lymphomas, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) remain incurable with standard therapy. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is feasible and has low treatment-related mortality in follicular lymphoma, but there are questions relating to optimal timing of the procedure, conditioning regimen, and late effects. Myeloablative allogeneic HSCT is associated with high treatment-related morbidity and mortality, few late relapses, but is applicable to only a small number of patients. ⋯ Steps to further decrease the morbidity and mortality of the RIC HSCT and in particular to reduce the incidence of chronic extensive graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) while maintaining tumor control remain the major focus. Many potential treatments are available for indolent lymphomas and CLL, and appropriate patient selection and the timing of HSCT remain controversial. The use of HSCT must always be weighed against the risk of the underlying disease, particularly in a setting where improvements in treatment are leading to improved outcome.
-
Invasive fungal infections pose major management problems for clinicians caring for hematopoietic cell transplant patients. Two major fungal genera, Candida and Aspergillus, account for most fungal infections. Rates of systemic Candida infection range from 15% to 25%, mostly in the pre-engraftment period. ⋯ Unfortunately, early initiation of therapy for aspergillosis is frequently not possible because of inaccurate diagnostics. One new diagnostic, the galactomannan assay, has recently been approved, and others are in development; these offer promise for earlier diagnosis without the need for invasive procedures. It is hoped that these new therapies and new diagnostics will usher in a new era of antifungal therapy.
-
Biol. Blood Marrow Transplant. · Jan 2004
ReviewUmbilical cord blood transplantation in adults using myeloablative and nonmyeloablative preparative regimens.
Unrelated umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation has recently been explored in an increasing number of adult patients. The relative ease of procurement and the lower-than-anticipated risk of severe acute graft-versus-host disease has made UCB transplantation an appealing alternative to bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells. The use of reduced-intensity or nonmyeloablative preparative regimens to allow engraftment of UCB broadens the scope of patients who may benefit from allogeneic immunotherapy, including elderly and medically infirm patients with no matched sibling donor. This review summarizes the available data on the use of UCB as an alternative source of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in adult patients.
-
Biol. Blood Marrow Transplant. · Jan 2001
ReviewMethodologic guidelines for the design of high-dose chemotherapy regimens.
The objective of this report is to review the research methods that have been used in the design, analysis, and reporting of Phase I dose-escalation studies of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with bone marrow or stem cell support and to propose new guidelines for such studies that incorporate emerging principles of pharmacology, toxicity assessment, statistical design, and long-term follow-up. ⋯ Phase I clinical trials in the HDCT setting have been designed, analyzed, and reported using heterogeneous methods that limited their application to Phase II and II investigations. Moreover, correlative pharmacologic analyses have not been routinely undertaken during this critical Phase I stage. We propose guidelines for the design of new Phase I studies of HDCT based on 4 essential elements: (1) rational preclinical and clinical pharmacologic foundation for the regimen and for the agent selected for dose escalation; (2) incorporation of analytical pharmacology in the design and analysis of the regimen under investigation; (3) clear, prospective definitions of the dose- or exposure-limiting toxicities that can be distinguished from modality-dependent toxicities; selection of an appropriate toxicity grading scale, including an assessment of cumulative, delayed, and long-term effects of HDCT, particularly when designing tandem or repetitive cycle regimens; and (4) statistical input into the design, execution, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of these studies.