Health-Related Quality-of-Life Comparison of Adult Related and Unrelated HSC Donors: An RDSafe Study.

Multiple investigations have documented the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and donation-related experiences of unrelated donors (URDs), but similar investigations of the related donor (RD) experience have been less common. The central goal of this study was to longitudinally examine and compare HRQoL of RD and URD hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) donors from predonation through 1 year postdonation. This prospective investigation included adult HSC donors ages 18 to 60 years who donated bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells at one of 48 geographically diverse US transplant/donor centers and completed HRQoL interviews at predonation and 4 weeks and 1 year postdonation. At predonation, related donors were less ambivalent about donation (t = -3.30; P = .001), more satisfied with their decision to donate (t = 2.65; P = .009), and more likely to define themselves as donors (t = 2.94; P = .004) than were URDs. However, related donors were more concerned about the use of needles (odds ratio [OR] = 2.19; P = .012), about who would pay for the procedure (OR = 2.80; P = .011), and the possibility that they would feel responsible if the transplant failed (t = 2.31; P = .022). Shortly postdonation, related donors were more likely to report donation-related pain (t = 2.50; P = .013) and lightheadedness (OR = 3.63; P = .028). At 1 year postdonation, related donors were less likely to be fully recovered from donation (OR = 0.10; P = .010) and more likely to report a longer recovery period following donation (t = 2.57; P = .011), although this latter finding was primarily due to the percentage of related versus unrelated donors not fully recovered at 1 year postdonation (10% versus 1%). Taken together, these findings suggest that current related donor management practices may be sufficient in preparing related donors for the psychological aspects of donation but that there may be more to do in terms of calibrating the description of donation-related experiences and recovery time to the related donor group (i.e., descriptions of donation experiences based on unrelated donation may not provide best estimates of experience for this group).

Higher Risks of Toxicity and Incomplete Recovery in 13- to 17-Year-Old Females after Marrow Donation: RDSafe Peds Results.

Although donation of bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) from children to family members undergoing allogeneic transplantation are well-established procedures, studies detailing levels of pain, symptoms, and long-term recovery are lacking. To address this lack, we prospectively enrolled 294 donors age <18 years at 25 pediatric transplantation centers in North America, assessing them predonation, peridonation, and at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year postdonation. We noted that 71% of children reported pain and 59% reported other symptoms peridonation, with resolution to 14% and 12% at 1 month postdonation. Both older age (age 13 to 17 years versus younger) and female sex were associated with higher levels of pain peridonation, with the highest rates in older females (57% with grade 2-4 pain and 17% with grade 3-4 pain). Multivariate analyses showed a 4-fold increase in risk for older females compared with males age <13 years (P <.001). At 1 year, 11% of 13- to 17-year-old females reported grade 2-4 pain, compared with 3% of males age 13 to 17 years, 0% of females age <13 years, and 1% of males age <13 years (P = .01). Males and females age 13 to 17 years failed to return to predonation pain levels at 1 year 22% and 23% of the time, respectively, compared with 3% and 10% in males and females age <13 years (P = .002). Our data show that females age 13 to 17 years are at increased risk of grade 2-4 pain at 1 year and >20% of females and males age 13 to 17 years do not return to baseline pain levels by 1 year after BM donation. Studies aimed at decreasing symptoms and improving recovery in older children are warranted.

Related peripheral blood stem cell donors experience more severe symptoms and less complete recovery at one year compared to unrelated donors.

Unlike unrelated donor registries, transplant centers lack uniform approaches to related donor assessment and deferral. To test whether related donors are at increased risk for donation-related toxicities, we conducted a prospective observational trial of 11,942 related and unrelated donors aged 18-60 years. Bone marrow (BM) was collected at 37 transplant and 78 National Marrow Donor Program centers, and peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) were collected at 42 transplant and 87 unrelated donor centers in North America. Possible presence of medical comorbidities was verified prior to donation, and standardized pain and toxicity measures were assessed pre-donation, peri-donation, and one year following. Multivariate analyses showed similar experiences for BM collection in related and unrelated donors; however, related stem cell donors had increased risk of moderate [odds ratios (ORs) 1.42; P<0.001] and severe (OR 8.91; P<0.001) pain and toxicities (OR 1.84; P<0.001) with collection. Related stem cell donors were at increased risk of persistent toxicities (OR 1.56; P=0.021) and non-recovery from pain (OR 1.42; P=0.001) at one year. Related donors with more significant comorbidities were at especially high risk for grade 2-4 pain (OR 3.43; P<0.001) and non-recovery from toxicities (OR 3.71; P<0.001) at one year. Related donors with more significant comorbidities were at especially high risk for grade 2-4 pain (OR 3.43; P<0.001) and non-recovery from toxicities (OR 3.71; P<0.001) at one year. Related donors reporting grade ≥2 pain had significant decreases in Health-Related Quality of Life (HR-QoL) scores at one month and one year post donation (P=0.004). In conclusion, related PBSC donors with comorbidities are at increased risk for pain, toxicity, and non-recovery at one year after donation. Risk profiles described in this study should be used for donor education, planning studies to improve the related donor experience, and decisions regarding donor deferral. Registered at clinicaltrials.gov identifier:00948636.

Effect of Aging and Predonation Comorbidities on the Related Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donor Experience: Report from the Related Donor Safety Study.

The development of reduced-intensity approaches for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation has resulted in growing numbers of older related donors (RDs) of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs). The effects of age on donation efficacy, toxicity, and long-term recovery in RDs are poorly understood. To address this we analyzed hematologic variables, pain, donation-related symptoms, and recovery in 1211 PBSC RDs aged 18 to 79 enrolled in the Related Donor Safety Study. RDs aged > 60 had a lower median CD34+ level before apheresis compared with younger RDs (age > 60, 59 × 106/L; age 41 to 60, 81 × 106/L; age 18 to 40, 121 × 106/L; P < .001). This resulted in older donors undergoing more apheresis procedures (49% versus 30% ≥ 2 collections, P < .001) and higher collection volumes (52% versus 32% > 24 L, P < .001), leading to high percentages of donors aged > 60 with postcollection thrombocytopenia <50 × 109/L (26% and 57% after 2 and 3days of collection, respectively). RDs aged 18 to 40 had a higher risk of grades 2 to 4 pain and symptoms pericollection, but donors over age 40 had more persistent pain at 1, 6, and 12 months (odds ratio [OR], 1.7; P = 0.02) and a higher rate of nonrecovery to predonation levels (OR, 1.7; P = .01). Donors reporting comorbidities increased significantly with age, and those with comorbidities that would have led to deferral by National Marrow Donor Program unrelated donor standards had an increased risk for persistent grades 2 to 4 pain (OR, 2.41; P < .001) and failure to recover to predonation baseline for other symptoms (OR, 2.34; P = .004). This information should be used in counseling RDs regarding risk and can assist in developing practice approaches aimed at improving the RD experience for high-risk individuals.

Health-Related Quality of Life among Older Related Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors (>60 Years) Is Equivalent to That of Younger Related Donors (18 to 60 Years): A Related Donor Safety Study.

The increasing number of older adults with blood-related disorders and the introduction of reduced-intensity conditioning regimens has led to increases in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation among older adults and a corresponding increase in the age of siblings who donate HSCs to these patients. Data regarding the donation-related experiences of older donors are lacking. The Related Donor Safety Study aimed to examine/compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of older versus younger HSC donors. Sixty peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donors ages 18 to 60 years and 104 PBSC donors age >60 years completed validated questionnaires before donation and 4 weeks and 1 year after donation. Before donation, older donors had poorer general physical health (t = -3.27; P = .001) but better mental health (t = 2.11; P < .05). There were no age differences in multiple other donation-related factors. At 4 weeks after donation, there were no group differences in general physical/mental health, but older donors were less likely to report donation-related pain (t = -2.26; P < .05) and concerns (t = -3.38; P = .001). At both 4 weeks and 1 year after donation, there were no significant differences in the percentage of each age group feeling physically back to normal or in the number of days it took donors to feel completely well. There was no evidence that increasing age within the older donor group was associated with poorer donation-related HRQoL. Taken together, these data support the current practice of HSC donation by sibling donors above age 60, providing no evidence of worsening HRQoL up to 1 year after donation in individuals up to age 76.

Health-Related Quality of Life among Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.

OBJECTIVES: To examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among sibling pediatric hematopoietic stem cell donors from predonation through 1 year postdonation, to compare donor-reported HRQoL scores with proxy-reports by parents/guardians and those of healthy norms, and to identify predonation factors (including donor age) potentially associated with postdonation HRQoL, to better understand the physical and psychosocial effects of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell donation. STUDY DESIGN: A random sample of 105 pediatric donors from US centers and a parent/guardian were interviewed by telephone predonation and 4 weeks and 1 year postdonation. The interview included sociodemographic, psychosocial, and HRQoL items. A sample of healthy controls matched to donors by age, gender, and race/ethnicity was generated. RESULTS: Key findings included (1) approximately 20% of donors at each time point had very poor HRQoL; (2) child self-reported HRQoL was significantly lower than parent proxy-reported HRQoL at all 3 time points and significantly lower than that of norms at predonation and 4 weeks postdonation; and (3) younger children were at particular risk of poor HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: Additional research to identify the specific sources of poorer HRQoL among at-risk donors (eg, the donation experience vs having a chronically ill sibling) and the reasons that parents may be overestimating HRQoL in their donor children is critical and should lead to interventions and policy changes that ensure positive experiences for these minor donors.