THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULT SURVIVORS OF ALLOGENEIC BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

Abstract

Research on the quality of life (QOL) following bone marrow transplantation has been hampered by assessment of a limited range of QOL domains as well as by a failure to assess relevant comparison groups. The QOL of adult survivors (n=29) of allogeneic BMT (mean of 51 months post-BMT) drawn from two BMT centers was assessed. QOL was also assessed in a sample of renal transplantation (RT) patients (n=29) matched with BMT patients with regard to age, sex, and time since transplant. Results indicated few differences between the BMT and RT groups across a broad range of QOL domains. Overall, neither group reported what might be considered a "normal" QOL. Multivariate analysis of the correlates of post-BMT QOL revealed that (1) less education, increased dosage of total-body irradiation during pre-BMT conditioning, and an older age at BMT were all associated with poorer status on several measures of post-BMT QOL; (2) time post-BMT was unrelated to post-BMT QOL; and (3) post-BMT affective status was more difficult to predict than post-BMT health or functional status. It was concluded that, while results indicate an acceptable post-BMT QOL, further research is necessary to identify means by which post-BMT QOL can be improved.