Late Effects after Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation in Very Young Children after Busulfan-Based, Myeloablative Conditioning.

Infants and young children who undergo allogeneic cord blood transplantation (CBT) are at increased risk for late effects because of exposure of developing organs to chemotherapy and radiation therapy typically used in transplant conditioning regimens. Busulfan (Bu)-based myeloablative regimens were developed to eliminate radiation exposure in these young children with the hope that late effects would be minimized. We now describe the late effects in 102 consecutive patients surviving a minimum of 5 years (median follow-up, 12.9 years) post-CBT. Patients were conditioned with high-dose chemotherapy using Bu-containing regimens. No patient received total body irradiation. The median age at transplant was 1 year (range, .1 to 2). Diagnoses included inherited metabolic diseases (59.8%), leukemia (17.6%), congenital immune deficiency (20.2%), bone marrow failure/myelodysplastic syndrome (3.9%), and hemoglobinopathy (2%). Among patients surviving 5 years, the overall survival rate at 10 years post-CBT was 93% (95% CI, 84.9 to 96.8). Virtually all patients (98%) experienced at least 1 significant late effect. Most (83.3%) experienced 2 or more late effects, and more than half of the patients (64.7%) experienced 3 or more late effects. The most commonly observed late effects included dental problems (92.2%), short stature (55.9%), cognitive deficits (53.6%), pulmonary dysfunction (18.6%), and abnormal pubertal development (27.9%). This is the first report of late effects of Bu-based conditioning in a cohort of very young patients at the time of transplant. These results will inform clinical care guidelines for long-term follow-up and add to the growing information regarding outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Intestinal decontamination of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae after recurrent infections in an immunocompromised host.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae infections are associated with increased morbidity. We describe a 20-year-old hematopoietic cell transplantation recipient with recurrent MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, prolonged intestinal colonization, and subsequent intestinal decontamination. Further study should evaluate stool surveillance, molecular typing, and fecal microbiota transplantation for patients with intestinal MDR Enterobacteriaceae carriage.

Training practices of hematopoietic progenitor cell-apheresis and -cord blood collection staff: analysis of a survey by the Alliance for Harmonisation of Cellular Therapy Accreditation.

BACKGROUND: As hematopoietic stem cell transplantation expands globally, identification of the key elements that make up high-quality training programs will become more important to optimizing collection practices and quality of the products collected. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Multiple-choice and open questions to identify training practices of those collecting hematopoietic progenitor cell-apheresis [HPC(A)] and -cord blood [HPC(CB)] products were distributed via an electronic survey tool worldwide. Data were collected on facility demographics, job descriptions, and the content of training programs including general practices, staff assessment, retraining, and unique program features. RESULTS: Respondents from more than 50 countries predominantly associating with facilities in North America and Europe represented transplant centers or transfusion services also performing collections. For the majority of staff performing HPC(A) collections (50%), initial training required as many procedures as necessary be done until competency was achieved. Competency was evaluated by direct observation comparing performance to written procedures or protocol steps (47%), combination of written assessment and observation (45%), evaluation of product quality (40%), and written assessment alone (12%). Staff retraining was customized on a case-by-case basis (42%). Similar criteria were placed on HPC(CB) training, with an emphasis on product quality measured by sterility, CD34+ cell collection efficiency, hematocrit, volume, and mononuclear cell count. CONCLUSION: Observation, practice, evaluation, and retraining until competency is achieved marked the training programs. Success was based on the ability of staff to execute procedures ultimately measured in product quality. Identified features may assist facilities in further developing and strengthening their own training programs.

Success of allogeneic marrow transplantation for children with severe aplastic anaemia.

Allogeneic marrow transplantation offers curative therapy for children with severe aplastic anaemia (SAA). We report the outcomes of 148 children with SAA who received human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related marrow grafts between 1971 and 2010. Patients were divided into three groups, reflecting changes in conditioning and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis regimens that occurred over time. Patients in Group 1 were conditioned with cyclophosphamide (CY; 200 mg/kg) followed by 'long' (102 d) methotrexate (MTX). Patients in Groups 2 and 3 received CY alone (Group 2) or combined with anti-thymocyte globulin (Group 3) followed by 'short' (days 1, 3, 6, and 11) MTX and ciclosporin (until day 180). With a median follow-up of 25 years, the 5-year survivals were 66%, 95%, and 100% for Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (overall P < 0·0001). The 3-year estimates of graft rejection were 22%, 32%, and 7%, respectively. The probabilities of grades III-IV acute and 2-year chronic GVHD were 15%, 0%, and 3%, and 21%, 21%, and 10%, respectively. Advances in preparative and GVHD prophylaxis regimens, and supportive care during the past 40 years have led to improved outcomes for children with SAA. These results confirm the use of allogeneic marrow transplantation for children with SAA who have HLA-matched related donors.

National Cancer Institute, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute/Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Consortium First International Consensus Conference on late effects after pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation: the need for pediatric-specific long-term follow-up guidelines.

Existing standards for screening and management of late effects occurring in children who have undergone hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) include recommendations from pediatric cancer networks and consensus guidelines from adult-oriented transplantation societies applicable to all HCT recipients. Although these approaches have significant merit, they are not pediatric HCT-focused, and they do not address post-HCT challenges faced by children with complex nonmalignant disorders. In this article we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of current published recommendations and conclude that pediatric-specific guidelines for post-HCT screening and management would be beneficial to the long-term health of these patients and would promote late effects research in this field. Our panel of late effects experts also provides recommendations for follow-up and therapy of selected post-HCT organ and endocrine complications in pediatric patients.

Randomized trial of hydroxychloroquine for newly diagnosed chronic graft-versus-host disease in children: a Children's Oncology Group study.

The Children's Oncology Group conducted a multicenter Phase III trial for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). The double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study evaluated hydroxychloroquine added to standard therapy for children with newly diagnosed cGVHD. The study also used a novel grading and response scoring system and evaluated clinical laboratory correlates of cGVHD. The primary endpoint was complete response (CR) after 9 months of therapy. Fifty-four patients (27 on each arm) were enrolled before closure because of slow accrual. The CR rate was 28% in the hydroxychloroquine arm versus 33% in the placebo arm (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20-2.93, P = .75) for 42 evaluable patients. For 41 patients with severity assessment at enrollment, 20 (49%) were severe and 18 (44%) moderate according to the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference global scoring system. The CR rate was 15% for severe cGVHD and 44% for moderate cGVHD (OR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.05-1.06, P = .07). Although the study could not resolve the primary question, it provided important information for future cGVHD study design in this population.

NCI, NHLBI/PBMTC first international conference on late effects after pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation: endocrine challenges-thyroid dysfunction, growth impairment, bone health, & reproductive risks.

The endocrine system is highly susceptible to damage by high-dose chemotherapy and/or irradiation before hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) during childhood. The specific endocrine organs most affected by HCT include the thyroid gland, the pituitary, and the gonads. In addition, hormones that support development and stability of the skeletal system are also affected. Insufficiency of thyroid hormone is 1 of the most common late sequelae of HCT, and occurs more often in young children. Deficiency in the pituitary's production of growth hormone is a problem of unique concern to the pediatric population. The reproductive risks of HCT depend on the patient's gender and pubertal status at the time of HCT. Pubertal or gonadal failure frequently occurs, especially in females. Infertility risks for both genders remain high, whereas methods of fertility preservation are limited in all but postpubertal males. Bone health post-HCT can be compromised by low bone mineral density as well as avascular necrosis, but the data on both problems in the pediatric HCT population are limited. In this paper, the current state of knowledge, gaps in that knowledge, and recommendations for future research are addressed in detail for each of these systems.

Late effects among pediatric patients followed for nearly 4 decades after transplantation for severe aplastic anemia.

Aplastic anemia (AA), a potentially fatal disease, may be cured with marrow transplantation. Survival in pediatric patients has been excellent early after transplantation, but only limited data are available regarding late effects. This study evaluates late effects among 152 patients followed 1-38 years (median, 21.8 years). Transplantation-preparative regimes were mostly cyclophosphamide with or without antithymocyte globulin. Survival at 30 years for the acquired AA patients is 82%, and for the Fanconi anemia patients it is 58% (P = .01). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that chronic GVHD (P = .02) and Fanconi anemia (P = .03) negatively impacted survival. Two Fanconi patients and 18 acquired AA patients developed a malignancy that was fatal for 4. There was an increased incidence of thyroid function test abnormalities among those who received total body irradiation. Cyclophosphamide recipients demonstrated normal growth, basically normal development, and pregnancies with mostly normal offspring. Quality-of-life studies in adult survivors of this pediatric transplantation cohort indicated that patients were comparable with control patients except for difficulty with health and life insurance. These data indicate that the majority of long-term survivors after transplantation for AA during childhood can have a normal productive life.

Significant 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency in child and adolescent survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: treatment with chemotherapy compared with allogeneic stem cell transplant.

BACKGROUND: 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency is common in healthy children and adolescents. There have been limited studies of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D status of survivors of pediatric and adolescent acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). PROCEDURE: In a cohort of 78 ALL survivors (52 chemotherapy-treated and 26 HCT-treated), we determined the prevalence of, and host, treatment and environmental risk factors for 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency and deficiency. RESULTS: There were no differences in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels between ALL survivors treated with conventional chemotherapy and those treated with HCT (median 26.0 vs 25.5 ng/ml). Fifty-three percent of pediatric ALL survivors were 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficient (15-29 ng/dl), and 12% were deficient (<15 ng/dl). Younger age, higher reported dietary vitamin D intake, use of vitamin D supplementation, and increased ambient ultraviolet light were associated with higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. There was not enough evidence to suggest treatment type, gender, race, years since diagnosis or BMI were associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Only 27% of conventional chemotherapy-treated ALL survivors and 8% of HCT-treated ALL survivors met RDA for dietary vitamin D intake. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in ALL survivors is similar to that of the general pediatric population in the United States, and there is no difference in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status between chemotherapy-treated and HCT-treated ALL survivors. ALL survivors rarely meet the RDA requirements for vitamin D. Further studies are needed to determine whether dietary and behavioral interventions can improve the vitamin D status of ALL survivors.

Comparative analysis of risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease and for chronic graft-versus-host disease according to National Institutes of Health consensus criteria.

Risk factors for grades 2-4 acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and for chronic GVHD as defined by National Institutes of Health consensus criteria were evaluated and compared in 2941 recipients of first allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation at our center. In multivariate analyses, the profiles of risk factors for acute and chronic GVHD were similar, with some notable differences. Recipient human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatching and the use of unrelated donors had a greater effect on the risk of acute GVHD than on chronic GVHD, whereas the use of female donors for male recipients had a greater effect on the risk of chronic GVHD than on acute GVHD. Total body irradiation was strongly associated with acute GVHD, but had no statistically significant association with chronic GVHD, whereas grafting with mobilized blood cells was strongly associated with chronic GVHD but not with acute GVHD. Older patient age was associated with chronic GVHD, but had no effect on acute GVHD. For all risk factors associated with chronic GVHD, point estimates and confidence intervals were not significantly changed after adjustment for prior acute GVHD. These results suggest that the mechanisms involved in acute and chronic GVHD are not entirely congruent and that chronic GVHD is not simply the end stage of acute GVHD.

A phase I/II study of chemotherapy followed by donor lymphocyte infusion plus interleukin-2 for relapsed acute leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

The efficacy of donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) for treatment of relapsed acute leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is limited. We hypothesized that interleukin-2 (IL-2) combined with DLI after chemotherapy might augment graft-versus-leukemia effects. To identify a safe and effective IL-2 regimen, a phase I/II study of DLI plus IL-2 therapy was performed for such patients. After chemotherapy, 17 patients received DLI (1 × 10(8) CD3/kg for patients with related donors, and 0.1 × 10(8) CD3/kg for those with unrelated donors) and an escalating dose of induction IL-2 (1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 × 10(6) IU/m(2)/day representing levels I [n = 7], Ia [n = 9], and II [n = 1]) for 5 days followed by maintenance (1.0 × 10(6) IU/m(2)/day) for 10 days as a continuous intravenous infusion. Unacceptable IL-2-related toxicities developed in 1 patient at level I, 2 at level Ia, and 1 at level II. Grades III-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) developed in 5 patients, and extensive chronic GVHD (cGVHD) developed in 8. Eight patients had a complete remission after chemotherapy prior to DLI, and 2 additional patients had a complete remission after DLI plus IL-2 therapy. In conclusion, the maximal tolerated induction dose of IL-2 combined with DLI appears to be 1.0 × 10(6) IU/m(2)/day. IL-2 administration after DLI might increase the incidence of cGVHD.

Unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation for myelodysplastic syndrome in children.

We describe long-term disease-free survival (DFS) after unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in 118 patients aged ≤18 years. Forty-six patients had refractory cytopenia (RC), 55 refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB), and 17 refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEB-t). Transplant-related mortality was higher after mismatched BMT (relative risk [RR] 3.29, P = .002). Disease recurrence was more likely with advanced stages of MDS at the time of BMT: RAEB (RR 6.50, P = .01) or RAEB-t (RR 11.00, P = .004). Treatment failure (recurrent disease or death from any cause; inverse of DFS) occurred in 68 patients. Treatment failure was higher after mismatched BMT (RR 2.79, P = .001) and in those with RAEB-t (RR 2.38, P = .02). Secondary MDS or chemotherapy prior to BMT was not associated with recurrence or treatment failure. Similarly, cytogenetic abnormalities were not associated with transplant outcomes. Eight-year DFS for patients with RC after matched and mismatched unrelated donor BMT was 65% and 40%, respectively. Corresponding DFS for patients with RAEB and RAEB-t was 48% and 28%, respectively. When a matched adult unrelated donor is available, BMT should be offered as first-line therapy, and children with RC can be expected to have the best outcome.

Analysis of the role of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first remission and MLL gene rearrangements: a report from the Children's Oncology Group.

PURPOSE: Although the majority of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are cured with current therapy, the event-free survival (EFS) of infants with ALL, particularly those with mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements, is only 30% to 40%. Relapse has been the major source of treatment failure for these patients. The parallel Children's Cancer Group (CCG) 1953 and Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) 9407 studies were designed to test the hypothesis that more intensive therapy, including dose intensification of chemotherapy, and hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) would improve the outcome for this group of patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred eighty-nine infants (CCG 1953, n = 115; POG 9407, n = 74) were enrolled between October 1996 and August 2000. For infants with the MLL gene rearrangement and an appropriate donor, HSCT was the preferred treatment on CCG 1953 and investigator option on POG 9407 after completion of the second phase of therapy. Fifty-three infants underwent HSCT. RESULTS: The 5-year EFS rate was 48.8% (95% CI, 33.9% to 63.7%) in patients who received HSCT and 48.7% (95% CI, 33.8% to 63.6%) in patients treated with chemotherapy alone (P = .60). Transplantation outcomes were not affected by the preparatory regimen or donor source. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that routine use of HSCT for infants with MLL-rearranged ALL is not indicated. However, limited by small numbers, this study should not be considered the definitive answer to this question.

Conditioning with treosulfan and fludarabine followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for high-risk hematologic malignancies.

In this prospective study 60 patients of median age 46 (range: 5-60 years), with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML; n = 44), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; n = 3), or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS; n = 13) were conditioned for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation with a treosulfan/fludarabine (Flu) combination. Most patients were considered at high risk for relapse or nonrelapse mortality (NRM). Patients received intravenous treosulfan, 12 g/m(2)/day (n = 5) or 14 g/m(2)/day (n = 55) on days -6 to -4, and Flu (30 mg/m(2)/day) on days -6 to -2, followed by infusion of marrow (n = 7) or peripheral blood stem cells (n = 53) from HLA-identical siblings (n = 30) or unrelated donors (n = 30). All patients engrafted. NRM was 5% at day 100, and 8% at 2 years. With a median follow-up of 22 months, the 2-year relapse-free survival (RFS) for all patients was 58% and 88% for patients without high-risk cytogenetics. The 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 33% (15% for patients with MDS, 34% for AML in first remission, 50% for AML or ALL beyond first remission and 63% for AML in refractory relapse). Thus, a treosulfan/Flu regimen was well tolerated and yielded encouraging survival and disease control with minimal NRM. Further trials are warranted to compare treosulfan/Flu to other widely used regimens, and to study the impact of using this regimen in more narrowly defined groups of patients.

Increased cardiometabolic traits in pediatric survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with total body irradiation.

Survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may face an increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular late effects. To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for adverse cardiometabolic traits in a contemporary cohort of pediatric ALL survivors, we recruited 48 off-therapy patients in remission treated with conventional chemotherapy and 26 treated with total body irradiation (TBI)-based hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in this cross-sectional pilot study. At a median age of 15 years (range, 8-21 years), HCT survivors were significantly more likely than non-HCT survivors to manifest multiple cardiometabolic traits, including central adiposity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. Overall, 23.1% of HCT survivors met the criteria for metabolic syndrome (≥ 3 traits), compared with 4.2% of non-HCT survivors (P = .02). HCT survivors also had increased C-reactive protein and leptin levels and decreased adiponectin, suggestive of underlying inflammation and increased visceral fat. In multivariate analyses, history of HCT remained associated with ≥ 2 traits (odds ratio [OR]. 5.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54-17.15) as well as with ≥ 3 traits (OR, 16.72; 95% CI, 1.66-168.80). Other risk factors included any cranial radiation exposure and family history of cardiometabolic disease. In summary, pediatric ALL survivors exposed to TBI-based HCT as well as to any cranial radiation may manifest cardiometabolic traits at an early age and should be screened accordingly.

Outcomes of pediatric bone marrow transplantation for leukemia and myelodysplasia using matched sibling, mismatched related, or matched unrelated donors.

Although some trials have allowed matched or single human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched related donors (mmRDs) along with HLA-matched sibling donors (MSDs) for pediatric bone marrow transplantation in early-stage hematologic malignancies, whether mmRD grafts lead to similar outcomes is not known. We compared patients < 18 years old reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research with acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndrome undergoing allogeneic T-replete, myeloablative bone marrow transplantation between 1993 and 2006. In total, patients receiving bone marrow from 1208 MSDs, 266 8/8 allelic-matched unrelated donors (URDs), and 151 0-1 HLA-antigen mmRDs were studied. Multivariate analysis showed that recipients of MSD transplants had less transplantation-related mortality, acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and chronic GVHD, along with better disease-free and overall survival than the URD and mmRD groups. No differences were observed in transplant-related mortality, acute and chronic GVHD, relapse, disease-free survival, or overall survival between the mmRD and URD groups. These data show that mmRD and 8/8 URD outcomes are similar, whereas MSD outcomes are superior to the other 2 sources. Whether allele level typing could identify mmRD recipients with better outcomes will not be known unless centers alter practice and type mmRD at the allele level.

Stable hematopoietic cell engraftment after low-intensity nonmyeloablative conditioning in patients with immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) syndrome is characterized by severe systemic autoimmunity caused by mutations in the forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) gene. Hematopoietic cell transplantation is currently the only viable option for long-term survival, but patients are frequently very ill and may not tolerate traditional myeloablative conditioning regimens. OBJECTIVE: Here we present the outcome of hematopoietic cell transplantation using a low-intensity, nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen in 2 patients with IPEX syndrome and significant pretransplant risk factors. METHODS: Two high-risk patients with IPEX syndrome received HLA-matched related bone marrow or unrelated peripheral blood stem cell grafts following conditioning with 90 mg/m(2) fludarabine and 4 Gy total body irradiation. Postgrafting immunosuppression consisted of mycophenolate mofetil and cyclosporine. Immune reconstitution and immune function was evaluated by measurement of donor chimerism, regulatory T-cell numbers, absolute lymphocyte subsets, and T-cell proliferation assays. RESULTS: Both patients experienced minimal conditioning toxicity and successfully engrafted after hematopoietic cell transplantation. With a follow-up of 4 and 1 years, respectively, patients 1 and 2 have full immune function and normal FOXP3 protein expression. CONCLUSION: A low-intensity, nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen can establish stable engraftment and correct the life-threatening immune deficiency and enteropathy of IPEX syndrome despite the presence of comorbidities that preclude conventional hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Fertility recovery and pregnancy after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Fanconi anemia patients.

Reduced fertility is one clinical manifestation among other well known Fanconi anemia features. Most recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation suffer from secondary infertility owing to gonadal damage from myeloablative conditioning. In order to evaluate the rate of pregnancy in Fanconi anemia transplanted patients, we performed a retrospective analysis of female patients transplanted in 15 centers from 1976 to 2008. Among 578 transplanted Fanconi anemia patients, we identified 285 transplanted females of whom 101 patients were aged 16 years or over. Ten became pregnant (4 twice). Before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation all had confirmed Fanconi anemia diagnosis. Median age at transplantation was 12 years (range 5-17 years). Conditioning regimen consisted of cyclophosphamide with or without irradiation. During follow up, 5 of 10 patients presented signs of ovarian failure. Among those, 2 patients spontaneously recovered regular menses, and 3 received hormonal replacement therapy. Pregnancy occurred from four to 17 years after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Three patients had preterm deliveries, one patient had a hysterectomy for bleeding. All 14 newborns had normal growth and development without congenital diseases. In conclusion, recovery of normal ovarian function and a viable pregnancy is a realistic but relatively rare possibility even in Fanconi anemia patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Mechanisms of fertility recovery are discussed.

Life expectancy in patients surviving more than 5 years after hematopoietic cell transplantation.

PURPOSE Hematopoietic cell transplantation can cure hematologic malignancies and other diseases, but this treatment can also cause late complications. Previous studies have evaluated the cumulative effects of late complications on survival, but longer-term effects on life expectancy after hematopoietic cell transplantation have not been assessed. PATIENTS AND METHODS We used standard methods to evaluate mortality, projected life expectancy, and causes of death in a cohort of 2,574 patients who survived without recurrence of the original disease for at least 5 years after allogeneic or autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation from 1970 through 2002. Sex- and age-specific comparisons were made with US population data. Results Estimated survival of the cohort at 20 years after transplantation was 80.4% (95% CI, 78.1% to 82.6%). During 22,923 person-years of follow-up, 357 deaths occurred. Mortality rates remained four- to nine-fold higher than the expected population rate for at least 30 years after transplantation, yielding an estimated 30% lower life expectancy compared with that in the general population, regardless of current age. In rank order, the leading causes of excess deaths were second malignancies and recurrent disease, followed by infections, chronic graft-versus-host disease, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSION Patients who have survived for at least 5 years after hematopoietic cell transplantation without recurrence of the original disease have a high probability of surviving for an additional 15 years, but life expectancy is not fully restored. Further effort is needed to reduce the burden of disease and treatment-related complications in this population.