Post-transplant care after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Around 25,000 people annually worldwide are subject to the procedure of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). As the number of procedures has been on the rise, post-transplant care is becoming an essential part of work at transplant centres and general practitioners’ offices. Advances in technology and supportive therapies extend long-term survival of patients after HSCT, which increases the risk of complications resulting from exposure before, during and after transplant procedures. The complications may lead to significant morbidity, deteriorated quality of life, and late mortality in patients who have received hematopoietic stem cells. Statistical analyses have shown that the survival rate of post-HSCT patients is ca. 30% lower than expected, and that infections, organ failure and secondary cancers lead to mortality in this population of patients.