1. ¹Department of Nursing, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
2. ²Healthcare Analytics Group, United Biosource Corporation, Bethesda, MD, USA
3. ³University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
4. ⁴National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
5. ⁵Stem Cell Allo Transplantation Section, Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

Correspondence: Dr MF Bevans, Department of Nursing, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Building 10/Rm 12s235b/MSC 1905, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. E-mail: mbevans@cc.nih.gov

Received 11 November 2005; Revised 6 April 2006; Accepted 2 May 2006; Published online 5 June 2006.

Abstract

Reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic HSCT (RIC) has less regimen-related morbidity and mortality than myeloablative allogeneic HSCT (MT) offering allogeneic transplantation to patients otherwise excluded. Whether these advantages improve health-related quality of life (HRQL) is unknown. We examined the HRQL effects of RIC and MT in patients with hematological diseases pre-transplant (baseline), days 0, 30 100, 1 and 2 years following HSCT. HRQL was measured using the Short Form-36 Health Survey and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General and BMT. Data were analyzed using mixed linear modeling adjusting for baseline HRQL differences. Patients (RIC=41, MT=35) were predominately male (67%), in remission/stable disease (65%) with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status 1 (97%). HRQL progressively improved (P<0.01) in both groups with higher scores at day 100 compared to days 0 and 30; there was no difference between groups during early recovery. At 2 years, all survivors (n=43) reported HRQL similar or better than baseline. Results suggest RIC and MT patients experience a similar pattern of HRQL improvement during early recovery. Two-year survivors report a return to baseline or better in HRQL by day 100, with the exception of physical health in MT patients.