Dr. Palmer on the Treatment Landscape of aGVHD

Jeanne M. Palmer, MD, a hematologist and oncologist in the Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Mayo Clinic, discusses the current treatment landscape of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD).

Steroids, such as methylprednisolone or prednisone, remain the mainstay of first-line ​treatment for patients with aGVHD treatment, says Palmer.

At the start of treatment, patients typically receive a ​steroid dose of 0.50 mg/kg to 2 mg/kg​, says Palmer. ​As long as patients are responding, the ​dose is ​typically decreased over time.

Patients who do not have an adequate response after 3 to 5 days ​of treatment are considered steroid refractory, Palmer adds.

Several second-line treatment options are available to ​treat patients with steroid-refractory ​disease. However, there are no​ robust data ​to indicate which option is superior, says Palmer. 

Finally, ​it ​is critical to remember that ​data from single-center studies may not be as compelling as multi-center studies, Palmer concludes.