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Quality of Life

Quality of life in adults following bone marrow transplantation during childhood

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 33, pages 329–336 (2004)Cite this article

Summary:

Quality of life (QOL) was assessed in 22 young adults, 14 years – on average– after having received bone marrow transplantation (BMT) during childhood at the Leiden University Medical Center. All were disease-free and >16 years when interviewed. The sickness impact profile and the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey were used as generic questionnaires in the assessment of QOL. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant Scale (FACT-BMT) was used as a disease-specific measure of QOL. Coping was assessed by means of the Utrecht coping list. BMT-related variables were obtained from medical files. Of the generic QOL measures, most results fell within the normal range of functioning, although some illness-related impairment was reported on subscales for general and work-related functioning. Compared to a reference sample of patients who had received BMT as adults, patients involved in this study scored significantly higher on the ‘emotional well-being’ subscale of the FACT-BMT, indicating significantly better emotional functioning. The age at BMT and total body irradiation (TBI) were not related to patients' QOL. We can conclude that at long term, having received BMT during childhood does not negatively affect the QOL of patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Psychology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands

    D I Helder & A A Kaptein

  2. Department of Paediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands

    B Bakker, P de Heer, F van der Veen, J M J J Vossen & J M Wit

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  1. D I Helder
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  3. P de Heer
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Correspondence to B Bakker.

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Helder, D., Bakker, B., de Heer, P. et al. Quality of life in adults following bone marrow transplantation during childhood. Bone Marrow Transplant 33, 329–336 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704345

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