Frozen Stem Cell Grafts Linked to Higher Relapse Rates in Blood Cancer
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Marrow Donor Program declared that cell grafts for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation must be frozen via a process called cryopreservation. However, recent research showed that patients with blood cancer who received these cryopreserved cells tended to have a higher rate of relapse than those who received fresh cells.
“Delivery following conditioning could not be guaranteed due to logistical challenges posed by travel bans, flight delays, cancellations and rerouting of couriers,” the researchers wrote, explaining why the decision was made to mandate cryopreservation. “Moreover, donors were at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection, necessitating last-minute cancellation of graft collection.”
Of note, though, there was no difference on overall survival (the time from treatment until death of any cause) between the two groups, according to the study findings, which were published in the journal Blood Advances.
The study researchers compared the outcomes of 1,543 recipients of cryopreserved allografts to the outcomes of 2,499 recipients of fresh allografts. There were no major differences observed in one-year overall survival rates (74.6% and 76.9%, respectively), death not related to disease relapse or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)-free survival.
However, one-year disease-free survival (the length of time patients live after treatment without signs or symptoms of their cancer returning) was lower in the group that received frozen stem cells, because there was a higher risk of relapse.
ارسال به دوستان