User login
Photo courtesy of Canterbury
District Health Board
SAN DIEGO—New research indicates that older stem cell donors have somewhat poorer overall health before they donate, but their health-related quality of life (HRQOL) post-donation is similar to that of younger donors.
In fact, the older donors included in this study actually fared better than their younger counterparts in some respects.
Galen E. Switzer, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, presented these results at the 2015 BMT Tandem Meetings (abstract 27*).
“[Older donors] may be at greater physical and psychological risk because of their age and comorbid conditions,” Dr Switzer noted. “So it’s critical for us to understand the health-related quality of life experiences of these donors.”
With that in mind, he and his colleagues evaluated 163 subjects who donated peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) to relatives in need of a transplant. The team compared donors over the age of 60 (n=104, median age 66 years) to those aged 18 to 60 (n=59, median age 41 years).
The investigators collected data via structured telephone interviews 2 weeks before PBSC donation and at 4 weeks and 1 year post-donation.
A comparison of sociodemographic factors revealed that older PBSC donors were significantly less likely to be employed (P<0.001) but more likely be white (P=0.009), be married (P=0.044), and have children (P<0.001).
Pre- and post-donation HRQOL
Pre-donation, older donors had significantly poorer physical health (P=0.001) and better mental health (P=0.036) than younger donors. But there was no significant difference between the age groups with regard to the incidence of depression or anxiety.
Similarly, there were no significant differences with regard to ambivalence, satisfaction, or medical concerns about donation. However, older donors were more likely to consult their physician about donation (P=0.049), and they had fewer work/family concerns (P=0.049) than younger donors.
At 4 weeks post-donation, there were no significant differences between the age groups with regard to general physical health, mental health, or any of 12 donation-related symptoms. However, younger donors were significantly more likely to report that donation was painful (P=0.025).
Older donors were significantly less likely to report work/family concerns, such as missing work, family worry, or worry about what others would think (P=0.001). They were less likely to have other donation-related concerns as well, such as worrying about who would pay for the procedure (P=0.034). And they were less likely to say they would feel responsible if the transplant did not have a favorable outcome (P=0.022).
At 1 year post-donation, there were no significant differences between the age groups with regard to overall physical and mental health, depression, ambivalence, satisfaction, 11 of 12 donation side effects, physical difficulty, psychological difficulty, or “other concerns.”
However, older donors reported significantly less anxiety, fewer medical concerns, and fewer work/family concerns (P<0.05 for all). They were also less likely to feel responsible for transplant outcomes and less likely to have problems sleeping, which was 1 of the 12 donation side effects (P<0.05 for both).
“So the overall conclusion, I think, is really reassuring,” Dr Switzer said. “Despite having somewhat poorer overall general physical health at pre-donation, older donors experience similar—and, in some domains, better—donation-related health-related quality of life than younger donors. So they seem to be doing at least as well and, in some domains, better than their younger counterparts.” 
*Information in the abstract differs from that presented at the meeting.
Photo courtesy of Canterbury
District Health Board
SAN DIEGO—New research indicates that older stem cell donors have somewhat poorer overall health before they donate, but their health-related quality of life (HRQOL) post-donation is similar to that of younger donors.
In fact, the older donors included in this study actually fared better than their younger counterparts in some respects.
Galen E. Switzer, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, presented these results at the 2015 BMT Tandem Meetings (abstract 27*).
“[Older donors] may be at greater physical and psychological risk because of their age and comorbid conditions,” Dr Switzer noted. “So it’s critical for us to understand the health-related quality of life experiences of these donors.”
With that in mind, he and his colleagues evaluated 163 subjects who donated peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) to relatives in need of a transplant. The team compared donors over the age of 60 (n=104, median age 66 years) to those aged 18 to 60 (n=59, median age 41 years).
The investigators collected data via structured telephone interviews 2 weeks before PBSC donation and at 4 weeks and 1 year post-donation.
A comparison of sociodemographic factors revealed that older PBSC donors were significantly less likely to be employed (P<0.001) but more likely be white (P=0.009), be married (P=0.044), and have children (P<0.001).
Pre- and post-donation HRQOL
Pre-donation, older donors had significantly poorer physical health (P=0.001) and better mental health (P=0.036) than younger donors. But there was no significant difference between the age groups with regard to the incidence of depression or anxiety.
Similarly, there were no significant differences with regard to ambivalence, satisfaction, or medical concerns about donation. However, older donors were more likely to consult their physician about donation (P=0.049), and they had fewer work/family concerns (P=0.049) than younger donors.
At 4 weeks post-donation, there were no significant differences between the age groups with regard to general physical health, mental health, or any of 12 donation-related symptoms. However, younger donors were significantly more likely to report that donation was painful (P=0.025).
Older donors were significantly less likely to report work/family concerns, such as missing work, family worry, or worry about what others would think (P=0.001). They were less likely to have other donation-related concerns as well, such as worrying about who would pay for the procedure (P=0.034). And they were less likely to say they would feel responsible if the transplant did not have a favorable outcome (P=0.022).
At 1 year post-donation, there were no significant differences between the age groups with regard to overall physical and mental health, depression, ambivalence, satisfaction, 11 of 12 donation side effects, physical difficulty, psychological difficulty, or “other concerns.”
However, older donors reported significantly less anxiety, fewer medical concerns, and fewer work/family concerns (P<0.05 for all). They were also less likely to feel responsible for transplant outcomes and less likely to have problems sleeping, which was 1 of the 12 donation side effects (P<0.05 for both).
“So the overall conclusion, I think, is really reassuring,” Dr Switzer said. “Despite having somewhat poorer overall general physical health at pre-donation, older donors experience similar—and, in some domains, better—donation-related health-related quality of life than younger donors. So they seem to be doing at least as well and, in some domains, better than their younger counterparts.”
*Information in the abstract differs from that presented at the meeting.
Photo courtesy of Canterbury
District Health Board
SAN DIEGO—New research indicates that older stem cell donors have somewhat poorer overall health before they donate, but their health-related quality of life (HRQOL) post-donation is similar to that of younger donors.
In fact, the older donors included in this study actually fared better than their younger counterparts in some respects.
Galen E. Switzer, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, presented these results at the 2015 BMT Tandem Meetings (abstract 27*).
“[Older donors] may be at greater physical and psychological risk because of their age and comorbid conditions,” Dr Switzer noted. “So it’s critical for us to understand the health-related quality of life experiences of these donors.”
With that in mind, he and his colleagues evaluated 163 subjects who donated peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) to relatives in need of a transplant. The team compared donors over the age of 60 (n=104, median age 66 years) to those aged 18 to 60 (n=59, median age 41 years).
The investigators collected data via structured telephone interviews 2 weeks before PBSC donation and at 4 weeks and 1 year post-donation.
A comparison of sociodemographic factors revealed that older PBSC donors were significantly less likely to be employed (P<0.001) but more likely be white (P=0.009), be married (P=0.044), and have children (P<0.001).
Pre- and post-donation HRQOL
Pre-donation, older donors had significantly poorer physical health (P=0.001) and better mental health (P=0.036) than younger donors. But there was no significant difference between the age groups with regard to the incidence of depression or anxiety.
Similarly, there were no significant differences with regard to ambivalence, satisfaction, or medical concerns about donation. However, older donors were more likely to consult their physician about donation (P=0.049), and they had fewer work/family concerns (P=0.049) than younger donors.
At 4 weeks post-donation, there were no significant differences between the age groups with regard to general physical health, mental health, or any of 12 donation-related symptoms. However, younger donors were significantly more likely to report that donation was painful (P=0.025).
Older donors were significantly less likely to report work/family concerns, such as missing work, family worry, or worry about what others would think (P=0.001). They were less likely to have other donation-related concerns as well, such as worrying about who would pay for the procedure (P=0.034). And they were less likely to say they would feel responsible if the transplant did not have a favorable outcome (P=0.022).
At 1 year post-donation, there were no significant differences between the age groups with regard to overall physical and mental health, depression, ambivalence, satisfaction, 11 of 12 donation side effects, physical difficulty, psychological difficulty, or “other concerns.”
However, older donors reported significantly less anxiety, fewer medical concerns, and fewer work/family concerns (P<0.05 for all). They were also less likely to feel responsible for transplant outcomes and less likely to have problems sleeping, which was 1 of the 12 donation side effects (P<0.05 for both).
“So the overall conclusion, I think, is really reassuring,” Dr Switzer said. “Despite having somewhat poorer overall general physical health at pre-donation, older donors experience similar—and, in some domains, better—donation-related health-related quality of life than younger donors. So they seem to be doing at least as well and, in some domains, better than their younger counterparts.”
*Information in the abstract differs from that presented at the meeting.