The quality of life in adult survivors of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Correlates and comparison with matched renal transplant recipients

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.