Geriatric Assessment Reveals Actionable Impairments in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Candidates Age 18 to 80 Years.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is a potentially curative treatment for both malignant and nonmalignant hematologic diseases; however, reported rates of treatment-related mortality approach 30%. Outcomes are worse in patients who begin HCT with functional impairments. To detect such impairments, a geriatric assessment (GA) is recommended in adults age ≥65 years. Younger HCT candidates also may be impaired because of chemotherapy regimens pre-HCT. Therefore, we hypothesized that GA can be beneficial for adult patients of all ages and subsequently created a clinical pretransplantation optimization program to assess all HCT candidates using a modified GA. One-hundred fifty-seven patients were evaluated in 4 functional domains- physical, cognitive, nutritional, and psychological-at 2 time points prior to HCT-new patient evaluation (NPE) and sign-off (SO)-between October 2017 and January 2020. At NPE, 80.9% of the patients had at least 1 domain with a functional impairment, and physical (P = .006), cognitive (P = .04), and psychological (P = .04) impairments were associated with an increased likelihood of not proceeding to HCT. In addition, patients age 18 to 39 years were more likely than older patients to have a physical function impairment (P = .001). Between NPE and SO, 51.9% of the patients had resolution of 1 or more impairments, and nutritional impairment at SO was predictive of worse overall survival (P = .01). Our study shows that GA can identify functional impairments in patients of all ages. Early identification of impairments could facilitate referrals to supportive care and resolution of impairments prior to HCT, suggesting that GA could be recommended for HCT candidates of all ages.

eHealth-Generated Patient Data in an Outpatient Setting after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Scoping Review.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) has the potential to cure malignant and nonmalignant diseases but remains associated with a wide range of complications, necessitating dedicated lifelong follow-up. While patients are monitored closely during the peri-HCT period, leaving the hospital setting after HCT introduces new challenges. This scoping review explores the current use of patient-generated eHealth data in the outpatient setting. A systematic search of the PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, American Psychological Association PsycINFO, and International Health Technology Assessment databases in July 2021 identified the 22 studies (13 full text articles and 9 abstracts) included in this review. The large majority were small to medium-sized (n = 15; 68.2%) pilot or feasibility studies (n = 18; 81.8%) that were published between 2016 and 2021 (n = 16; 72.7%). Collection of patient-reported outcomes was the most frequently reported eHealth intervention (n = 14; 63.6%), followed by vital sign monitoring (n = 5; 22.7%) and home-based spirometry (n = 3; 13.6%), mostly in the early post-transplantation setting. eHealth interventions had favorable feasibility and acceptability profiles; however, we found little data on the efficacy, long-term monitoring, data security, and cost-effectiveness of eHealth interventions. Larger randomized studies are warranted to draw formal conclusions about the impact of eHealth on HCT outcomes and the best ways to incorporate eHealth in clinical practice.

Home-Based Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in the United States.

Patients undergoing allogeneic (allo) and autologous (auto) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) require extensive hospitalizations or daily clinic visits for the duration of their transplantation. Home HCT, wherein patients live at home and providers make daily trips to the patient's residence to perform assessments and deliver any necessary interventions, may enhance patient quality of life and improve outcomes. We conducted the first study of home HCT in the United States to evaluate this model in the US healthcare setting and to determine the effect on clinical outcomes and quality of life. This case-control study evaluated patients who received home HCT at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, from November 2012 to March 2018. Each home HCT patient was matched with 2 controls from the same institution who had received standard treatment based on age, disease, and type of transplant for outcomes comparison. Clinical outcomes were abstracted from electronic health records, and quality of life was assessed via Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant. Clinical outcomes were compared with Student's t-test or Fisher's exact test (continuous variables) or chi-square test (categorical variables). Quality of life scores were compared using the Student t-test. All analyses used a significance threshold of 0.05. Twenty-five patients received home HCT, including 8 allos and 17 autos. Clinical outcomes were not significantly different between the home HCT patients and their matched controls; home HCT patients had decreased incidence of relapse within 1 year of transplantation. Pre-HCT quality of life was well preserved for autologous home HCT patients. This Phase I study demonstrated that home HCT can be successfully implemented in the United States. There was no evidence that home HCT outcomes were inferior to standard-of-care treatment, and patients undergoing autologous home HCT were able to maintain their quality of life. A Phase II randomized trial of home versus standard HCT is currently underway to better compare outcomes and costs.

Male age interferes with embryo growth in IVF treatment.

STUDY QUESTION: Does male age affect embryo growth or quality in couples undergoing IVF treatment? SUMMARY ANSWER: Advanced paternal age (APA) is negatively associated with the chance of an optimal eight-cell embryo on the third day of development. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Literature shows that APA is associated with decreased sperm quality and fecundity. However, the effect of male age on embryo growth in an IVF setting remains inconclusive. Literature concerning male influences on IVF success is scarce and approaches used to analyse embryo outcomes differ by study. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This study was part of the longitudinal Epigenetic Legacy of Paternal Obesity (ELPO) study for which fathers and mothers were followed from pre-pregnancy until the birth of their child. Couples were recruited from April 2015 to September 2017. A total of 1057 embryos from 87 couples were studied. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Dutch-speaking couples planning to undergo an IVF treatment were recruited at the Leuven University Fertility Center in Flanders, Belgium. Anthropometrics were documented and compared to the general Flemish population. Semen characteristics, pregnancy rates and the following embryo characteristics were recorded: number of blastomeres, symmetry and percentage fragmentation. Statistical modelling was applied taking into account correlation of within-cycle outcomes and use of multiple cycles per couple. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: We observed a significant inverse association between APA and a key determinant for scoring of embryo quality: older men were less likely to produce an embryo of eight blastomeres at Day 3, compared to younger fathers; odds ratio for the effect of 1 year equals 0.960 (95% CI: 0.930-0.991; P = 0.011). Our finding remained significant after adjusting for female age and male and female BMI. Degree of fragmentation and symmetry were not significantly related to male age. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Because of the study's small sample size and its monocentric nature, a larger study is warranted to confirm our results. In addition, distribution of BMI and level of education were not representative of the general Flemish population. Although we corrected for BMI status, we do not exclude that obesity may be one of the determinants of infertility in our study population. Furthermore, it is known from other European countries that a higher education eases access to fertility treatment. Hence, caution should be taken when interpreting our findings from a fertility setting to the general population. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: We suggest a heightened need for future research into male age and its potential effects on embryo growth, embryo quality and ART outcomes. Clinical decision-making and preventative public health programmes would benefit from a better understanding of the role of men, carried forward by the Paternal Origins of Health and Disease (POHaD) paradigm. We hope the current finding will encourage others to examine the role of the sperm epigenome in embryo development according to paternal age. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This work was supported by a research grant from KU Leuven University (OT/14/109). The authors declare no competing financial, professional or personal interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: KU Leuven S57378 (ML11309), B322201523225.