Health-Related Quality of Life Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

It is common knowledge that an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) will have an enormous impact on the lives of transplant recipients and their families. Once an appropriate donor is identified, the curative potential of this treatment often drives the decision to proceed knowing that there will be intense physiologic toxicities and adverse effects on health-related quality of life (HRQL). Twenty-five years ago, HRQL was identified as an efficacy parameter in the evaluation of new anticancer drug therapy. Overall, the evidence suggests that an allogeneic HSCT has a significant impact on the overall HRQL of recipients, which is a result of decrements across all dimensions, including a significant symptom profile. The degree of impact on overall HRQL and the multiple dimensions varies across the transplant trajectory. Specific HRQL dimensions, such as physical function and symptoms, are easily incorporated into a clinician's assessment whereas other dimensions (eg, psychosocial) are less commonly integrated. The translation of HRQL results to improve clinical practice is not well established. Clinicians are often uncertain when to assess the scope of HRQL and how to interpret the information in a clinically meaningful way. The purpose of this review is to highlight the quality-of-life effects of allogeneic HSCT and discuss application into clinical practice.