Ascertainment of Unmet Needs and Participation in Health Maintenance and Screening of Adult Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Survivors Followed in a Formal Survivorship Program

International recommendations for screening and preventative practices for long-term survivors of transplantation and cellular therapy: a 2023 update

As hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy expand to new indications and international access improves, the volume of HCT performed annually continues to rise. Parallel improvements in HCT techniques and supportive care entails more patients surviving long-term, creating further emphasis on survivorship needs. Survivors are at risk for developing late complications secondary to pre-, peri- and post-transplant exposures and other underlying risk-factors. Guidelines for screening and preventive practices for HCT survivors were originally published in 2006 and updated in 2012. To review contemporary literature and update the recommendations while considering the changing practice of HCT and cellular therapy, an international group of experts was again convened. This review provides updated pediatric and adult survivorship guidelines for HCT and cellular therapy. The contributory role of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) to the development of late effects is discussed but cGVHD management is not covered in detail. These guidelines emphasize special needs of patients with distinct underlying HCT indications or comorbidities (e.g., hemoglobinopathies, older adults) but do not replace more detailed group, disease, or condition specific guidelines. Although these recommendations should be applicable to the vast majority of HCT recipients, resource constraints may limit their implementation in some settings.

International Recommendations for Screening and Preventative Practices for Long-Term Survivors of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy: A 2023 Update

As hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy expand to new indications and international access improves, the number of HCTs performed annually continues to rise. Parallel improvements in HCT techniques and supportive care entails more patients surviving long term, creating further emphasis on survivorship needs. Survivors are at risk for developing late complications secondary to pretransplantation, peritransplantation, and post-transplantation exposures and other underlying risk factors. Guidelines for screening and preventive practices for HCT survivors were originally published in 2006 and then updated in 2012. An international group of experts was convened to review the contemporary literature and update the recommendations while considering the changing practices of HCT and cellular therapy. This review provides updated pediatric and adult survivorship guidelines for HCT and cellular therapy. The contributory role of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) to the development of late effects is discussed, but cGVHD management is not covered in detail. These guidelines emphasize the special needs of patients with distinct underlying HCT indications or comorbidities (eg, hemoglobinopathies, older adults) but do not replace more detailed group-, disease-, or condition-specific guidelines. Although these recommendations should be applicable to the vast majority of HCT recipients, resource constraints may limit their implementation in some settings.

Financial toxicity in patients with leukemia undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A systematic review

Financial toxicity (FT) is a term used to describe the objective financial burden of cancer care including the associated coping behaviors used by patients and their caregivers. FT has been shown to result in both direct financial burdens and in clinically relevant outcomes, such as non-adherence with care, diminished quality of life, and even decreased overall survival. Much of the data has been described in solid tumors, with limited investigations in the malignant hematology population. Patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) face a unique financial burden driven by lengthy hospitalizations and acute and chronic morbidity that have downstream implications on their income and costs. In this review, we discuss the prevalence of FT in patients with leukemia who are eligible for HSCT. We review the impact of FT on financial and clinical outcomes and the role of various interventions that have been studied within this population.

Patient Perceived Financial Burden in Haematological Malignancies: A Systematic Review

Advances in scientific understanding have led to novel therapies and improved supportive care for many patients with haematological malignancies. However, these new drugs are often costly, only available at centralised health care facilities, require regular specialist reviews and lengthy treatment regimens. This leads to a significant financial burden. Understanding the impact of financial burden on haematological patients is important to appreciate the urgency of alleviating this systemic issue. Method: Eligible studies were identified by systematically searching Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Embase. Self-reported data reported in both quantitative and qualitative studies that described the financial burden for patients with haematological malignancies were included. Quality appraisal of the included studies was undertaken using the Joanna Briggs Institute tools. A narrative synthesis was employed. For quantitative studies, outcomes were extracted, tabulated and categorised to find similarities and differences between the studies. For qualitative studies, quotations, codes and themes were extracted and then clustered. An inductive approach derived qualitative themes. Results: Twenty studies were identified for inclusion. Of the quantitative studies most (83%) employed un-validated researcher-generated measures to assess financial burden. Between 15–59% of patients experienced a financial burden. Out-of-pocket expenditure was frequent for clinical appointments, prescription and non-prescription medication, and travel. Financial burden was associated with a worsening quality of life and living in metropolitan areas, but there was no evidence for impact on survival. Patient-centred experiences from the qualitative inquiry complemented the quantitative findings and five themes were determined: familial or household impact; reliance on others; barriers to care due to cost; and barriers to accessing financial assistance and sources of out-of-pocket expenses. Conclusion: The impacts of financial burden are yet to be fully appreciated in haematological malignancies, exacerbated by the heterogeneous methods employed by researchers. Future work should focus on identifying the long-term ramifications of financial burden for patients and should trial interventions to reduce its prevalence and patient impacts.

Psychosocial and financial issues after hematopoietic cell transplantation

With improvement in survival after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), it has become important to focus on survivors' psychosocial issues in order to provide patient-centered care across the transplant continuum. The goals of this article are to describe updates in the literature on certain psychosocial domains (emotional/mental health and social/financial) in HCT survivors, offer a brief overview of the status of the screening and management of these complications, and identify opportunities for future practice and research. An evidence-based approach to psychosocial care can be broken down as primary (promoting health, raising awareness, and addressing risk factors), secondary (screening and directing early pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions), and tertiary (rehabilitating, limiting disability, and improving quality of life) prevention. Implementing such an approach requires close coordination between multiple stakeholders, including transplant center staff, referring hematologist/oncologists, and other subspecialists in areas such as palliative medicine or psychiatry. Innovative models of care that leverage technology can bring these stakeholders together to fulfill unmet needs in this area by addressing barriers in the delivery of psychosocial care.

Feasibility of an online cognitive rehabilitation programme in patients with a haematological malignancy undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a known adverse event that can impact cancer survivors, resulting in long-standing effect on quality of life and activities of daily living. Currently, there is limited knowledge regarding the aetiology and therapy for CRCI. Although CRCI following autologous stem cell transplantation (AuSCT) is emerging as a potentially significant concern for patients with underlying haematological malignancies, it is an area that requires further research.

AIMS

This pilot study aimed to assess (i) the prevalence of CRCI in patients with haematological malignancies both pre-AuSCT and post-AuSCT and (ii) the feasibility of a cognitive rehabilitation programme (CRP) in survivorship care post-AuSCT.

METHODS

Over a 12-month period, consecutive patients planned for AuSCT were approached for the study. Enrolled patients were administered a 9-week course of CRP, commencing day 40 ± 5 post-AuSCT. Participants were evaluated using a neuropsychological tool and validated questionnaires at baseline, pre-CRP (day 40 ± 5 post-AuSCT), post-CRP and 6 months post-CRP.

RESULTS

Thirty-two patients were enrolled. The mean age was 59 years (SD = 11.5), 23 (72%) were male and 18 (56%) had multiple myeloma. Participants reported high satisfaction using the CRP, and most devoted significant amount of time as requested.

CONCLUSIONS

While there appeared to be a low incidence of significant CRCI in our patient population, the incorporation of CRP in survivorship care appeared to be feasible. A larger randomised study examining the efficacy of CRP should be further explored.

Technology-enabled activation of skin cancer screening for hematopoietic cell transplantation survivors and their primary care providers (TEACH)

BACKGROUND

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a curative option for a growing number of patients with hematologic diseases and malignancies. However, HCT-related factors, such as total body irradiation used for conditioning, graft-versus-host disease, and prolonged exposure to immunosuppressive therapy, result in very high risk for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). In fact, skin cancer is the most common subsequent neoplasm in HCT survivors, tending to develop at a time when survivors' follow-up care has largely transitioned to the primary care setting. The goal of this study is to increase skin cancer screening rates among HCT survivors through patient-directed activation alone or in combination with physician-directed activation. The proposed intervention will identify facilitators of and barriers to risk-based screening in this population and help reduce the burden of cancer-related morbidity after HCT.

METHODS/DESIGN

720 HCT survivors will be enrolled in this 12-month randomized controlled trial. This study uses a comparative effectiveness design comparing (1) patient activation and education (PAE, N = 360) including text messaging and print materials to encourage and motivate skin examinations; (2) PAE plus primary care physician activation (PAE + Phys, N = 360) adding print materials for the physician on the HCT survivors' increased risk of skin cancer and importance of conducting a full-body skin exam. Patients on the PAE + Phys arm will be further randomized 1:1 to the teledermoscopy (PAE + Phys+TD) adding physician receipt of a portable dermatoscope to upload images of suspect lesions for review by the study dermatologist and an online course with descriptions of dermoscopic images for skin cancers.

DISCUSSION

When completed, this study will provide much-needed information regarding strategies to improve skin cancer detection in other high-risk (e.g. radiation-exposed) cancer survivor populations, and to facilitate screening and management of other late effects (e.g. cardiovascular, endocrine) in HCT survivors.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04358276 . Registered 24 April 2020.

Low Rate of Cervical Cancer Screening among Women with Hematologic Malignancies after Stem Cell Transplant

Annual cervical cancer screening with Papanicolaou (Pap) and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing after stem cell transplant (SCT) is recommended, but the uptake is unknown. We aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of cervical cancer screening in patients with hematologic malignancies. We searched MarketScan Commercial Claims database for women who underwent allogeneic or autologous SCT. The primary outcome was cervical cancer screening, defined as procedures or abnormal results for HPV and/or Pap testing according administrative codes within 2 years after SCT. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted with cancer type, SCT year, age, geographic area, insurance plan, comorbidity, and presence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).The study included 1484 patients; 1048 patients (70.6%) had autologous and 436 (29.4%) allogeneic SCT. Mean age was 52.5 years. Overall, 660 patients (44.5%) had screening within 2 years after SCT, 214 (49.1%) with allogeneic SCT and 446 (42.6%) with autologous SCT (P = .02). In the allogeneic SCT group, patients with GVHD had a lower rate of screening than patients without GVHD (42.5% versus 55.4%, P < .01), and GVHD was associated with lower odds of screening (odds ratio, .50; 95% confidence interval, .32 to .79). In the autologous SCT group, patients with comorbid medical conditions had a lower rate of screening than patients without comorbidity (36.0% versus 45.7%, P < .01). In both allogeneic and autologous SCT groups older patients had lower odds of screening. Cervical cancer screening rates after SCT are low, particularly in patients with GVHD, who are at significant risk of second malignancies. Future work is needed to develop strategies to increase uptake.