Advances in the understanding and management of mucositis during stem cell transplantation

Comparison of pre- and posttransplant energy expenditure in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and evaluation of associated factors

OBJECTIVES

Patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may present with metabolic alterations that can have an effect on their energy expenditure and nutritional status. This project aimed to compare the pre- and posttransplant energy expenditures of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as well as related factors.

METHODS

This prospective study was conducted at a single center. Patients, undergoing autograft or allograft, were evaluated before transplantation and on the 10th and 17th d posttransplantation. Energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry. Diet intake was assessed by a 24-h dietary recall. Infectious and noninfectious complications were analyzed between days 1 to 10 after transplantation and days 11 to 17 after transplantation. Paired model analyses were carried out to identify the pretransplantation and posttransplantation periods.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were evaluated with a mean age of 45.6 ± 17.2 y; a majority were male sex (65%), and the most frequent diagnoses were chronic myeloid leukemia (25%) and multiple myeloma (25%). Energy expenditure increased by 15% posttransplantation, and the energy requirement per kilogram of weight was 23 kcal/kg at day 10 after transplantation. Throughout the posttransplantation period, 45% of the patients required nutritional therapy. Negative energy and negative protein balance were observed at all analyzed times. Phase angle (P = 0.018), fever (P = 0.014), mucositis grades I to II (P = 0.018), and the total number of infectious and noninfectious events (P = 0.043) were associated with an increase in energy expenditure at day 10 after transplantation.

CONCLUSIONS

Energy expenditure increased after transplantation compared with pretransplantation in 50% of patients. Phase angle, fever, grades I to II mucositis, and infectious and noninfectious events were associated with increased energy expenditure at day 10 after transplantation.

Cryotherapy for oral mucositis in cancer: review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

One of the most common side effects of cancer treatment is oral mucositis. Although studies have shown that oral cryotherapy has a favourable effect on oral mucositis, the reliability of the results is questionable.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this umbrella review was to provide insight into the effects of oral cryotherapy against oral mucositis in patients with cancer, as well as to assess the certainty of this evidence.

METHOD

Studies were searched for through PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, with no restrictions until August 2021. The risk ratio (RR) and 95% CI for each meta-analysis were recalculated using a random-effects model, and the certainty of the evidence was judged using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.

RESULTS

Ten meta-analyses including 25 original RCTs that fit our inclusion criteria were included. The use of oral cryotherapy markedly reduced the occurrence of overall (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.83, n=20 trials), moderate to severe (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.80, n=16 trials) and severe oral mucositis (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.67, n=16 trials), as well as average severity score of oral mucositis (standardised mean difference=-0.94, 95% CI -1.28 to -0.59, n=4 trials) in comparison to a control group; however, the certainty of evidence for all outcomes was rated very low.

CONCLUSION

In patients with cancer, oral cryotherapy appears to greatly lower the severity and occurrence of oral mucositis, but, with very low certainty of evidence.

The Role of the Innate Immune Response in Oral Mucositis Pathogenesis

Oral mucositis (OM) is a significant complication of cancer therapy with limited management strategies. Whilst inflammation is a central feature of destructive and ultimately ulcerative pathology, to date, attempts to mitigate damage via this mechanism have proven limited. A relatively underexamined aspect of OM development is the contribution of elements of the innate immune system. In particular, the role played by barriers, pattern recognition systems, and microbial composition in early damage signaling requires further investigation. As such, this review highlights the innate immune response as a potential focus for research to better understand OM pathogenesis and development of interventions for patients treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Future areas of evaluation include manipulation of microbial-mucosal interactions to alter cytotoxic sensitivity, use of germ-free models, and translation of innate immune-targeted agents interrogated for mucosal injury in other regions of the alimentary canal into OM-based clinical trials.

Metformin pretreatment ameliorates busulfan-induced liver endothelial toxicity during haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

The success of Haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is often limited by regimen-related toxicity (RRT) caused by conditioning regimen drugs. Among different conditioning drugs, busulfan (Bu) and treosulfan (Treo), although widely used in HCT, exhibit different toxicity profiles, the mechanism of which is still unclear. Here we investigated the effects of Bu and Treo in endothelial cells. While both Bu and Treo induced DNA damage in endothelial cells, we observed Bu alone to induce oxidative stress and sustained activation of phospho-ERK1/2, leading to apoptosis. However, Treo-treated cells exhibited no oxidative stress/apoptosis of endothelial cells. Screening of pharmacological inhibitors of both ROS and p-ERK revealed that metformin effectively ameliorates Bu-mediated toxicity in endothelial cells. In Balb/c mice, we observed a significant reduction in bone marrow endothelial cells in Bu-treated mice compared to Treo-treated mice. Further, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) was damaged by Bu, which is implicated in liver vasculature and their functional capacity to uptake FITC-albumin. However, Treo-treated mice liver vasculature was morphologically and functionally normal. When mice were pretreated with metformin followed by Bu, LSECs damage was ameliorated morphologically and functionally. Bone marrow transplants done on these mice did not affect the engraftment of donor cells.

Efficacy of photobiomodulation in the treatment of oral mucositis in patients undergoing antineoplastic therapy: systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effectiveness of photobiomodulation in the treatment of oral mucositis.

METHODS

Systematic review and meta-analysis encompassing in the electronic databases: LILACS, MEDLINE, EMBASE, COCHRANE, SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE, and CINAHL and in http://clinicaltrials.gov . Eligibility criteria were randomized, non-randomized, and observational studies that used photobiomodulation for the treatment of oral mucositis. The endpoints were reduction in the severity of oral mucositis, duration of lesions, and pain reduction. For data analysis, the Review Manager 5.4 program was used.

RESULTS

A total of 316 studies were identified, 297 in the electronic databases and 19 in http://clinicaltrials.gov . After removing duplicates, 260 studies were selected for title and abstract reading, of which 223 were excluded. A total of 37 studies were chosen for full reading, of which 6 were included in the review, totaling 299 patients. The treatment used was photobiomodulation. The patients were divided into two groups: the laser group used only photobiomodulation or associated with other therapies, and the control group did not use photobiomodulation. For the endpoint reduction in the severity of oral mucositis (OM), the chance of reduction of the OM was greater in the laser group as compared to the control group. For the endpoints duration of OM lesions and pain reduction, it was not possible to carry out a meta-analysis due to the high heterogeneity between studies. In the interpretation of the meta-analysis, the reduction in the severity of oral mucositis was greater in the group that received photobiomodulation.

CONCLUSION

Photobiomodulation was effective in the treatment of oral mucositis.

Viable Bifidobacterium tablets for the prevention of chemotherapy-/radiation-induced mucositis in patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

PURPOSE

Mucositis is a frequent and severe complication in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The effectiveness of probiotics in mucositis has been indicated by several clinical trials, but the results are still controversial. To date, studies on the influence of probiotics in HSCT are limited. Therefore, we conducted this retrospective study to evaluate the impact of viable Bifidobacterium tablets on the incidence and duration of chemotherapy-/radiation-induced mucositis in patients undergoing HSCT.

METHODS

Clinical data of 278 patients who underwent HSCT between May 2020 and November 2021 were retrospectively analysed. They were divided into a control group (138) and a probiotic group (140) according to whether they took viable Bifidobacterium tablets. First, we analysed the baseline data of the two groups. Then, we compared the incidence, severity and duration of mucositis between the two groups by using Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test and Fisher's exact test according to the type of data. In order to exclude the influence of confounding factors, we further evaluated the efficacy of oral probiotics in preventing oral mucositis by Binary logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The use of viable Bifidobacterium tablets markedly reduced the incidence of oral mucositis (OM) (62.9% vs. 81.2%, p = 0.001) and mainly reduced the incidence of grades 1-2 OM (74.6% vs. 58.6%, p = 0.005). There was no significant difference in the incidence of severe (grades 3-4) OM between the two groups (6.5% vs. 4.3%, p = 0.409). The median duration of OM was shorter in the probiotic group (10 vs. 12 days, p = 0.037). The incidence and duration of diarrhoea did not differ between the two groups. Moreover, the use of viable Bifidobacterium tablets had no influence on engraftment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggested that viable Bifidobacterium tablets could effectively reduce the incidence of grades 1-2 OM and duration of OM during the transplant process without affecting the outcome of HSCT.

Probiotics for the Management of Oral Mucositis: An Interpretive Review of Current Evidence

Mucositis is one of the major side effects of anti-cancer therapies. Mucositis may lead to other abnormalities such as depression, infection, and pain, especially in young patients. Although there is no specific treatment for mucositis, several pharmacological and non-pharmacological options are available to prevent its complications. Probiotics have been recently considered as a preferable protocol to lessen the complications of chemotherapy, including mucositis. Probiotics could affect mucositis by anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial mechanisms as well as augmenting the overall immune system function. These effects may be mediated through anti microbiota activities, regulating cytokine productions, phagocytosis, stimulating IgA releasement, protection of the epithelial shield, and regulation of immune responses. We have reviewed available literature pertaining to the effects of probiotics on oral mucositis in animal and human studies. While animal studies have reported protective effects of probiotics on oral mucositis, the evidence from human studies is not convincing.

Photobiomodulation for Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Patients

Oral mucositis (OM) is a common side effect in patients undergoing chemotherapy (CT), especially in children due to their rapid epithelial mitotic rate. It has been associated with a significant reduction in life quality since it leads to pain, an inadequate intake of nutrients, an increased risk of opportunistic infections, and interruptions of CT. Photobiomodulation (PMB) with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has shown faster healing, reduction in pain, and the reduced use of analgesic compared to placebo groups. The purpose of this review is to analyze and compare the existing clinical trials and identify their shortcomings in hope to make future research easier. Using MeSH terms and keywords, the Embase, Medline, and PubMed databases we searched for the period of the last 5 years. We identified a total of 15 clinical trials, with a total of 929 pediatric patients analyzed in this review. We compared different light sources and other laser technique characteristics used in clinical trials such as wavelength, energy and power density, spot size, irradiation time, PBM protocol, and OM evaluation. The main findings show inconsistent laser parameter quotations, differences in the PBM protocol along with a laser application technique, and a lack of clinical trials. Based on that, more studies with a high methodological quality should be conducted in order to provide a unified PBM protocol suitable for the pediatric population.

Psychometric evaluation of Oral Mucositis Daily Questionnaire: A cross-cultural adaptation of the Malay version in multiethnic adult autologous stem cell transplant

Objective

Mucositis is one of the most feared side effects of cancer treatment. Psychometric analysis of a patient self-assessment score, the oral mucositis daily questionnaire in Malay (OMDQ-Mal) and its construct validity by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is lacking. This research aimed to test the validity and reliability of OMDQ-Mal.

Methods

A total of 114 autologous stem-cell transplantation patients aged ≥ 18 years old at a national hematology center in Malaysia from April 2019 to December 2020 completed OMDQ-Mal concurrently with physician scores. Internal consistency and reproducibility were determined by Cronbach alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient, respectively. Correlations with physician scores were determined by Spearman correlation. Discriminative validity and construct validity were determined by Mann-Whitney U and CFA, respectively.

Results

OMDQ-Mal demonstrated high internal consistency (α ​= ​0.874). Test-retest reliability between paired days were moderate to excellent (95% CI ​= ​0.676-0.953). Items in OMDQ-Mal had moderate to strong correlations with physician scores (ρ ​= ​0.503-0.721). Discriminative validity indicated that the scores of scales were significantly different between participants with severe and mild conditions. Construct validity results of loading factors 0.708-0.952; composite reliability 0.879-0.974; average variant extracted 0.710-0.841; and heterotrait-monotrait ratio 0.528 established the convergent and divergent validity.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the OMDQ-Mal, which captured important quality of life responses, demonstrated adequate validity and reliability. This was supported by a two-component model CFA. The strong correlation of OMDQ-Mal with both physician scores indicated its potential as a comprehensive patient-reported outcome measure of mucositis of the entire alimentary tract.

Study Protocol to Evaluate Influences of Stress and Inflammation on Mucositis in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer

BACKGROUND

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer diagnoses are rising, and gains in survivorship are falling behind for this age group. Dose-limiting toxicities of therapy, including mucositis, are more frequent in this age group and may be contributing to poorer survivorship. Animal models and observational studies suggest that stress and inflammation may be contributing to the high prevalence of dose-limiting mucositis in this age demographic. The AYA oncology population has been an overlooked and under-researched oncology demographic, leading to poor understanding of why this age group has high side-effect burdens and poorer cancer survival.

OBJECTIVES

This paper describes a novel, prospective clinical study in AYAs receiving chemotherapy designed to evaluate if stress at the time of chemotherapy administration predicts the development of dose-limiting mucositis and determines if stress-induced inflammatory profiles mediate this relationship. This is the first study to translate these stress and inflammation findings from animal models to a nurse-centered research design in humans.

METHODS

Persons aged 15-39 years who are receiving chemotherapy with a significant (> 20%) risk of developing mucositis will be recruited for a prospective study. Baseline stress is measured through participant questionnaires, and blood is collected to analyze for inflammatory markers. Participants receive chemotherapy as clinically planned and complete a daily survey of mucositis symptoms for 14 days after chemotherapy. Regression and mediation analysis will determine if stress and inflammatory profiles predict the development of dose-limiting mucositis.

RESULTS

This model of inquiry through a nursing framework uses a biobehavioral model that considers physiologic and psychologic risk factors for chemotherapy toxicities. This study is also an important translational science study essential in bringing data from laboratory studies to the clinical arena. The study may also be important to implementation science since assessing the ability of critically ill individuals to participate in low-burden clinical studies that may yield essential findings to improve care delivery.

DISCUSSION

Findings from this work will identify potentially modifiable factors that may be manipulated to minimize chemotherapy toxicities and lead to improved survival. Data from this study will inform larger research endeavors to better understand symptom development in this high-risk oncologic population.

Tramadol Treatment for Chemotherapy-induced Mucositis Pain in Children

Mucositis, a painful and debilitating condition, is a common side effect of chemotherapy. The role of tramadol in the treatment of mucositis in pediatric patients has not yet been determined. In this retrospective study, we evaluate whether tramadol as single agent achieved a reduction of pain intensity among oncologic children admitted for mucositis. In total, 34 of 54 (63%) episodes were treated with tramadol alone and achieved adequate pain relief. Tramadol's side effects were mild and manageable.

Addressing Common Pain Syndromes in Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant: A Review

Assessment and management of pain for pediatric patients receiving stem cell transplants can be challenging for a health care team. Diagnostic evaluation and interventions vary between institutions and individual provider practices. In this review, we investigate and describe approaches to pain management for the most common sources of pain in pediatric patients undergoing stem cell transplants. Mucositis pain, abdominal pain, and hemorrhagic cystitis emerged as the most frequent sources of acute pain in children during conditioning and transplantation periods. Furthermore, psychosocial distress and psychological pain or distress constitute significant components of the total pain experienced by children undergoing stem cell transplantation. We will expand upon appropriate usage and escalation of opioids, as well as complementary interventions and timely initiation of interventions, in order to help control pain in these clinical syndromes.

Intravenous opioids for chemotherapy-induced severe mucositis pain in children: Systematic review and single-center case series of management with patient- or nurse-controlled analgesia (PCA/NCA)

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis can result in severe pain. Intravenous (IV) opioids are recommended, but management protocols vary. We systematically reviewed studies reporting IV opioid use for pain related to chemotherapy-induced severe oral mucositis in children and conducted a large single-center case series.

METHODS

Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies reporting IV opioid duration and/or dose requirements for severe mucositis. Secondly, our pain service database was interrogated to describe episodes of opioid administration by patient- or nurse-controlled analgesia (PCA/NCA) for children with mucositis and cancer treatment-related pain.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies (six randomized trials, two prospective observational, three retrospective cohort, six retrospective case series) included IV opioid in 618 patients (age 0.3-22.3 years), but reported parameters varied. Mucositis severity and chemotherapy indication influenced IV opioid requirements, with duration ranging from 3 to 68 days and variable dose trajectories (hourly morphine or equivalent 0-97 mcg/kg/h). Our 7-year series included PCA/NCA for 364 episodes of severe mucositis (302 patients; age 0.12-17.2 years). Duration ranged from 1 to 107 days and dose requirements in the first 3 days from 1 to 110 mcg/kg/h morphine. Longer PCA/NCA duration was associated with: higher initial morphine requirements (ρ = 0.46 [95% CI 0.35, 0.57]); subsequent increased pain and need for ketamine co-analgesia (118/364 episodes with opioid/ketamine 13.9 [9.8-22.2] days vs opioid alone 6.0 [3.9-10.8] days; median [IQR]); but not with age or sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Management of severe mucositis pain can require prolonged IV opioid therapy. Individual and treatment-related variability in analgesic requirements highlight the need for regular review, titration, and management by specialist services.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Is Associated With Systemic Inflammation in Pediatric Patients Treated With Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are challenged with severe side effects, which are propagated by mucosal barrier disruption, and the related microbial translocation and systemic inflammation. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a well-known incretin hormone, possesses anti-inflammatory properties and promotes regeneration of damaged intestinal epithelium in animal studies. We hypothesized that the immense inter-individual variation in the degree of mucosal damage and systemic inflammation, seen after HSCT is influenced by endogenous GLP-1 and could be related to acute post-transplant complications. In this prospective study we measured serial weekly fasting plasma GLP-1, along with C-reactive protein (CRP), and citrulline in 82 pediatric patients during allogeneic HSCT together with a fasting plasma GLP-1 in sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Overall, GLP-1 levels were increased in the patients during the course of HSCT compared with the controls, but tended to decrease post-transplant, most pronounced in patients receiving high-intensity conditioning regimen. The increase in CRP seen in the early post-transplant phase was significantly lower from day +8 to +13 in patients with GLP-1 above the upper quartile (>10 pmol/L) at day 0 (all P ≤ 0.03). Similar findings were seen for peak CRP levels after adjusting for type of conditioning (-47.0%; 95% CI, -8.1 - -69.4%, P = 0.02). Citrulline declined significantly following the transplantation illustrating a decrease in viable enterocytes, most evident in patients receiving high-intensity conditioning regimen. GLP-1 levels at day 0 associated with the recovery rate of citrulline from day 0 to +21 (34 percentage points (pp)/GLP-1 doubling; 95% CI, 10 - 58pp; P = 0. 008) and day 0 to day +90 (48 pp/GLP-1 doubling; 95% CI, 17 - 79pp; P = 0. 004), also after adjustment for type of conditioning. This translated into a reduced risk of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) in patients with highest day 0 GLP-1 levels (>10 pmol/L) (cause-specific HR: 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2 - 0.9, P = 0.02). In conclusion, this study strongly suggests that GLP-1 influences regeneration of injured epithelial barriers and ameliorates inflammatory responses in the early post-transplant phase.

Efficacy of Oral Cryotherapy in the Prevention of Oral Mucositis Associated with Cancer Chemotherapy: Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

BACKGROUND

This review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of oral cryotherapy in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis using meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis, as well as to assess the quality of the results by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of three databases including Medline, Embase and Central was performed to identify randomized controlled trials that used oral cryotherapy for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis. The primary outcome was the incidence of oral mucositis for trials employing oral cryotherapy as the intervention for the prevention of oral mucositis. The meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model and random errors of the meta-analyses were detected by trial sequential analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 14 RCTs with 1577 participants were included in the present meta-analysis. Patients treated with oral cryotherapy were associated with a significantly lower risk of developing oral mucositis of any grade (risk ratio (RR), 0.67 (95% CI: 0.56-0.81, p < 0.05)). Findings from the subgroup analyses showed that oral cryotherapy significantly reduced the risk of oral mucositis in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (RR 0.69, CI: 0.54-0.89, p < 0.05) as well as chemotherapy (RR 0.66, CI: 0.58-0.75, p < 0.05). Findings from the trial sequential analysis suggested that the evidence on oral cryotherapy as a preventive intervention for oral mucositis in patients with solid malignancies receiving conventional chemotherapy was conclusive.

CONCLUSION

Oral cryotherapy is effective in preventing oral mucositis in patients undergoing chemotherapy for the management of solid malignancies. The use of oral cryotherapy in preventing oral mucositis in bone marrow transplantation settings showed promising efficacy, but the evidence is not conclusive and requires more high-quality randomized controlled trials.

A Prospective Cohort Study Comparing Long-Term Outcomes with and without Palifermin in Patients Receiving Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancies

The incidence of debilitating oral mucositis (OM) can be as high as 99% after myeloablative conditioning regimens preparing patients with hematologic malignancies for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Palifermin (KGF) is a recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor that reduces the incidence and duration of severe OM. The long-term safety of KGF has not been well established, however. In this long-term prospective matched-cohort study, patients who received KGF (cases) and underwent autologous or allogeneic HCT for hematologic malignancies between 2006 and 2013 were matched 1:1 to patients who did not receive KGF (controls). The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Other outcomes were disease relapse, new malignancies, pancreatitis, renal failure requiring dialysis, pulmonary complications, cataract surgery, and acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The analysis population comprised 2191 matched pairs with a wide range of diseases and donor types that received diverse conditioning and GVHD preventive regimens, representing contemporary practice patterns. The median duration of follow-up was 8 years (range, 1 to 12.5 years). In multivariate analyses, the probabilities of OS (relative risk [RR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.91 to 1.12), relapse (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.18), new malignancies (RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.18), and cataract surgery (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.50) were not statistically significantly different between cases and controls. In univariate analyses, no increased risks were observed for renal failure requiring dialysis, pancreatitis, acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, interstitial pneumonitis/acute respiratory distress syndrome/idiopathic pneumonia syndrome, or bronchiolitis obliterans/cryptogenic organizing pneumonia/bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia among cases compared with controls. This long-term prospective safety cohort study demonstrates that the KGF group had no increased risk of overall mortality, relapse, new malignancies, or any other key outcome. The broad inclusion criteria allow the results to be generalized to contemporary practice for patients with a wide range of diseases and receiving a wide range of HCT conditioning regimens and graft sources from diverse donor types.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Busulfan in Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Pilot Single-Center Study in Taiwan

(1) Background: Busulfan has been used as a conditioning regimen in allogeneic hematopoietic cell stem transplantation (HSCT). Owing to a large inter-individual variation in pharmacokinetics, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)-guided busulfan dosing is necessary to reduce graft failure and relapse rate. As there exists no TDM of busulfan administration for HCT in Taiwan, we conducted a pilot study to assess the TDM-dosing of busulfan in the Taiwanese population; (2) Methods: Seven patients with HCT from The Koo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan, received conditioning regimens consisting of intravenous busulfan and other chemotherapies. After the initial busulfan dose, blood samples were collected for busulfan TDM at 5 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h. Busulfan was extracted and detected by performing stable-isotope dilution LC-MS/MS. Plasma busulfan concentration was quantified and used for dose adjustment. Potential adverse effects of busulfan, such as mucositis and hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), were also evaluated; (3) Results: The LC-MS/MS method was validated with an analyte recovery of 88-99%, within-run and between-run precision of <15%, and linearity ranging from 10 to 10,000 ng/mL. Using TDM-guided busulfan dosing, dose adjustment was necessary and performed in six out of seven patients (86%) with successful engraftments in all patients (100%). Mild mucositis was observed, and VOD was diagnosed in only one patient; (4) Conclusions: This single-center study in Taiwan demonstrated the importance of busulfan TDM in increasing the success rate of HCT transplantation. It is also necessary to further investigate the optimal busulfan target value in the Taiwanese population in the future.

Oral mucositis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia treated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in relation to the conditioning used prior to transplantation

This study was designed to investigate the frequency and severity of oral mucositis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, in relation to the type of conditioning used. Eighty patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia were assigned to two groups based on the conditioning regimen used before transplantation. The intensity of oral inflammatory lesions induced by chemotherapy (oral mucositis) was evaluated according to a 5-point scale recommended by World Health Organization. Oral mucosa was investigated in all patients before the transplantation and during two subsequent stages of the post-transplantation procedure in relation to the conditioning regimen used. Mucositis in the oral cavity was observed in the majority of patients (66%) in the first week after transplantation, whereas the largest percentage of patients suffering oral lesions (74%) occurred in the second week after transplantation. A significantly higher percentage of patients with mucositis was observed in the group which underwent myeloablation therapy (74% of MAC and 50% of RIC patients in the first week; 83% of MAC and 53% of RIC patients in the second examination).The severity of mucositis after transplantation was higher in the MAC patients compared to the RIC patients. The highest mean value of the mucositis index was recorded in the second week in the MAC group (1.59). In AML sufferers receiving allo-HSCT, oral mucositis is a significant complication of the transplantation. This condition is more frequent and more severe in patients after treatment with myeloablation therapy.

Prevalence and risk factors of oral mucositis in paediatric patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Background

A complete understanding of oral mucositis (OM) is crucial to develop appropriate interventions to aid in the successful overall health outcome of paediatric patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Aims

This study aimed at determining the prevalence and severity of OM and at identifying the predictive factors that might aggravate OM at one‐week, two‐week and three‐week post‐HSCT.

Methods

This retrospective, hospital‐based study reviewed the medical records of 170 paediatric patients, summarising the patients’ characteristics using descriptive statistics. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the development of OM.

Results

At one‐week post‐HSCT, 41% of 140 patients (n = 49) had developed OM, this was reduced at two‐week (n = 36, 33%) and three‐week (n = 13, 19%) post‐HSCT. Univariate logistic regression revealed that patients with cancer (OR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.05–0.54; p‐value = .003) had a significantly lower prevalence of OM. Younger patients with an average age of 7.9 years old (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.75–0.97; p‐value = 0.013) and the presence of GvHD (OR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.03–5.45, p‐value = 0.042) were significantly related to a higher prevalence of OM. Multivariable logistic regression confirmed that the risk of OM is lower in patients with cancer compared to those with immunodeficiency syndromes or hereditary blood diseases (OR = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.04–0.77; p‐value = .021).

Conclusions

This study identified a significantly lower prevalence of OM in patients with cancer compared to other conditions and that young recipients and those who developed GvHD were more likely to have OM.

Pilot randomized trial of an electronic symptom monitoring and reporting intervention for hospitalized adults undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

PURPOSE

Patients undergoing a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) have varied symptoms during their hospitalization. This study examined whether daily symptom reporting (with electronic patient-reported outcomes [PROs]) in an inpatient bone marrow transplant clinic reduced symptom burden on post-transplant days +7, +10, and +14.

METHODS

A prospective, single-institution 1:1 pilot randomized, two-arm study recruited HCT patients. HCT inpatients (N = 76) reported daily on 16 common symptoms using the PRO version of the Common Terminology for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE). Fisher's exact test was used to examine differences in the proportion of patients reporting individual symptoms. Multivariable linear regression modeling was used to examine group differences in peak symptom burden, while controlling for symptom burden at baseline, age, comorbidity, and transplantation type (autologous or allogeneic).

RESULTS

HCT patients receiving the PRO intervention also experienced lower peak symptom burden (average of 16 symptoms) at days +7, +10, and +14 (10.4 vs 14.5, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Daily use of electronic symptom reporting to nurses in an inpatient bone marrow transplant clinic reduced peak symptom burden and improved individual symptoms during the 2 weeks post-transplant. A multi-site trial is warranted to demonstrate the generalizability, efficacy, and value of this intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02574897.

How to feed patients with gastrointestinal mucositis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Gastrointestinal mucositis is a frequent side effect of systemic anticancer treatment and radiotherapy. The occurrence endangers body resources by decreasing food intake and absorption. This review highlights new developments in treatment and prevention.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent clinical practice guidelines recommend supplying adequate amounts of energy and nutrients to cancer patients undergoing anticancer treatments. This requires repeated screening for risk of malnutrition and in at-risk patients, assessment of food intake and nutritional status, followed by nutritional interventions targeted at individual deficiencies and tolerance to oral, enteral or parenteral feeding. Recent preclinical data report beneficial effects of stimulating the sensor for cell damage signals TRPA1, blocking histamine H2 receptors or supplying probiotics. In a recent clinical trial, amifostine reduced gastrointestinal symptoms and was well tolerated. Probiotics are studied in ongoing clinical trials and glucagon-like peptide 2 analogues are considered for future trials. Due to limited options available today, it has been suggested to also consider several plant-based complementary therapies.

SUMMARY

Although options for prevention and treatment of chemotherapy or radiotherapy-induced gastrointestinal mucositis today are still limited, inadequate energy and nutrient intake should trigger nutritional interventions, including counselling, oral nutritional supplements, tube feeding and parenteral nutrition. To prevent gastrointestinal mucositis, several new agents have shown promising results in preclinical trials.

A pharmacokinetic model for voriconazole in a highly diversified population of children and adolescents with cancer

BACKGROUND

The wide pharmacokinetic variability of voriconazole leads to uncertainty regarding adequate exposure.

OBJECTIVES

To create a pharmacokinetic model that could help to explain the variability.

METHODS

Retrospective review of paediatric patients with cancer. Models were built using Pmetrics.

RESULTS

We analysed 158 trough measurements in 55 patients; in 41.8%, the serum levels were between 1 and 6 mg/L on initial measurement. After the measurements, dosage adjustments were made in 42 (76.3%) patients, and the percentage of adequate levels rose to 54.5%. Fourteen deaths (25.4%) were attributed to invasive fungal diseases. The mean serum levels were higher in deceased patients (mean ± SD: 3.1 ± 3.2 mg/L vs 2.5 ± 3.6 mg/L in survivors; P = 0.018), but the median doses per kg were higher in survivors. Drug exposure was also higher in deceased patients (mean ± SD of AUC: 19.2 ± 8.1 vs 9.5 ± 19.1 in survivors; P = 0.005). No correlation was found between serum concentrations <1 mg/L and death attributable to fungal disease. Bioavailability was estimated in 50%. The maximum velocity of clearance was reduced in deceased patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Extremely ill patients can be poor metabolizers of voriconazole. Therapeutic monitoring promotes only a limited improvement in drug management.