Patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation have an increased risk of new solid cancers later in life. The trend toward an increased risk over time after transplantation and the greater risk among younger patients indicate the need for life-long surveillance.

Transplant recipients have been reported to have an increased risk of solid cancers but most studies are small and have limited ability to evaluate the interaction of host, disease, and treatment-related factors. In the largest study to date to evaluate risk factors for solid cancers, we studied a multi-institutional cohort of 28 874 allogeneic transplant recipients with 189 solid malignancies. Overall, patients developed new solid cancers at twice the rate expected based on general population rates (observed-to-expected ratio 2.1; 95% confidence interval 1.8-2.5), with the risk increasing over time (P trend < .001); the risk reached 3-fold among patients followed for 15 years or more after transplantation. New findings showed that the risk of developing a non-squamous cell carcinoma (non-SCC) following conditioning radiation was highly dependent on age at exposure. Among patients irradiated at ages under 30 years, the relative risk of non-SCC was 9 times that of nonirradiated patients, while the comparable risk for older patients was 1.1 (P interaction < .01). Chronic graft-versus-host disease and male sex were the main determinants for risk of SCC. These data indicate that allogeneic transplant survivors, particularly those irradiated at young ages, face increased risks of solid cancers, supporting strategies to promote lifelong surveillance among these patients. (Blood. 2009; 113:1175-1183)

A B S T R A C T PurposeAllogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is curative but is associated with lifethreatening complications. Most deaths occur within the first 2 years after transplantation. In this report, we examine long-term survival in 2-year survivors in the largest cohort ever studied. Patients and MethodsRecords of 10,632 patients worldwide reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research who were alive and disease free 2 years after receiving a myeloablative allogeneic HCT before 2004 for acute myelogenous or lymphoblastic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, lymphoma, or severe aplastic anemia were reviewed. ResultsMedian follow-up was 9 years, and 3,788 patients had been observed for 10 or more years. The probability of being alive 10 years after HCT was 85%. The chief risk factors for late death included older age and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). For patients who underwent transplantation for malignancy, relapse was the most common cause of death. The greatest risk factor for late relapse was advanced disease at transplantation. Principal risk factors for nonrelapse deaths were older age and GVHD. When compared with age, sex, and nationality-matched general population, late deaths remained higher than expected for each disease, with the possible exception of lymphoma, although the relative risk generally receded over time. ConclusionThe prospect for long-term survival is excellent for 2-year survivors of allogeneic HCT. However, life expectancy remains lower than expected. Performance of HCT earlier in the course of disease, control of GVHD, enhancement of immune reconstitution, less toxic regimens, and prevention and early treatment of late complications are needed.

We evaluated 26 901 patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) at 271 centers worldwide to define patterns of posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs). PTLDs developed in 127 recipients, with 105 (83%) cases occurring within 1 year after transplantation. In multivariate analyses, we confirmed that PTLD risks were strongly associated (P < .001) with T-cell depletion of the donor marrow, antithymocyte globulin (ATG) use, and unrelated or HLA-mismatched grafts (URD/HLA mismatch). Significant associations were also confirmed for acute and chronic graftversus-host disease. The increased risk associated with URD/HLA-mismatched donors (RR ‫؍‬ 3.8) was limited to patients with T-cell depletion or ATG use (P ‫؍‬ .004). New findings were elevated risks for age 50 years or older at transplantation (RR ‫؍‬ 5.1; P < .001) and second transplantation (RR ‫؍‬ 3.5; P < .001). Lower risks were found for T-cell depletion methods that remove both T and B cells (alemtuzumab and elutriation, RR ‫؍‬ 3.1; P ‫؍‬ .025) compared with other methods (RR ‫؍‬ 9.4; P ‫؍‬ .005 for difference). The cumulative incidence of PTLDs was low (0.2%) among 21 686 patients with no major risk factors, but increased to 1.1%, 3.6%, and 8.1% with 1, 2, and more than 3 major risk factors, respectively. Our findings identify subgroups of patients who underwent allogeneic HCT at elevated risk of PTLDs for whom prospective monitoring of Epstein-Barr virus activation and early treatment intervention may be particularly beneficial. (Blood. 2009;113: 4992-5001)

The experience of HSCT for a malignant disease has a wide-ranging, longstanding, and profound impact on adult recipients. Relative to healthy controls, HSCT survivors reported poorer physical, psychological, and social functioning but, conversely, more psychological and interpersonal growth, differences that appeared to persist many years after HSCT.

Long-term survivors of BMT for childhood leukemia have an increased risk of solid cancers and PTLDs, related to both transplant therapy and treatment given before BMT. Transplant recipients, especially those given radiation, should be monitored closely for second cancers.

Myelofibrosis is a myeloproliferative disorder incurable with conventional strategies. Several small series have reported long-term disease free survival after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. In this study, we analyze the outcomes of 289 patients receiving allogeneic transplantation for primary myelofibrosis between 1989 and 2002, from the database of the Center for International Bone Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR). The median age was 47 years (range 18-73 years). Donors were HLA identical siblings in 162 patients, unrelated individuals in 101 patients, and HLA non-identical family members in 26 patients. Patients were treated with a variety of conditioning regimens and graft versus host disease prophylaxis regimens. Splenectomy was performed in 65 patients prior to transplantation. The 100-day transplant related mortality was 18% for HLA identical sibling transplants, 35% for unrelated transplants, and 19% for transplants from alternative related donors. Corresponding 5 year overall survival rates were 37%, 30%, and 40% respectively. Disease-free survival rates were 33%, 27% and 22% respectively. Disease-free survival for patients receiving reduced intensity transplants was comparable, 39% for HLA identical sibling donors and 17% for unrelated donors at three years. In this large retrospective series, allogeneic transplantation for myelofibrosis resulted in long-term relapse-free survival in about one-third of patients.

Recipients of cord-blood transplants from HLA-identical siblings have a lower incidence of acute and chronic GVHD than recipients of bone marrow transplants from HLA-identical siblings.