Dr. Bachier Discusses Toxicities With Stem Cell Transplant

Carlos R. Bachier, MD, director, blood and marrow transplant research, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses toxicities associated with stem cell transplant.

Stem cell transplant is one of the longest-established therapies in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. There are growing opportunities for patients with hematologic malignancies to benefit from stem cell transplantation. Although, there are important toxicities to consider.

Most common toxicities occur in the allogeneic transplant setting, Bachier says. While donors may be immunologically similar to the recipient, there are still differences between them. The cells that are infused into the recipient may attack the body, resulting in a complication called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This is one of the most serious complications that a patient can have after transplant, but new effective therapies to prevent and treat GVHD are being developed.