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Credit: Chad McNeeley
New research suggests a majority of US patients who need unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplants can find a suitable donor on the Be The Match Registry.
However, the likelihood of finding an 8/8 HLA-matched adult donor is often low, particularly for patients of diverse ethnic or racial backgrounds.
And finding a 6/6 HLA-matched cord blood donor is a long shot regardless of race or ethnicity, although patients younger than 20 years of age have better odds.
These findings appear in NEJM.
“This research confirms that physicians should identify the best available donor with minimal delay,” said study author Dennis Confer, MD, chief medical officer at National Marrow Donor Program/Be the Match in Minneapolis.
“Transplant should not be postponed in anticipation of finding a perfect match. Using a suitable match reflects current clinical practice.”
Dr Confer and his colleagues built population-based genetic models for 21 racial and ethnic groups to predict the likelihood of identifying a suitable adult or cord blood donor for each group.
The researchers used data on HLA genotypes and cord blood unit cell doses from the National Marrow Donor Program’s Be the Match registry, which included 10,759,087 adult donors and 186,166 cord blood units at the end of 2012.
The team found the likelihood of identifying an 8/8 HLA-matched donor is highest for white patients of European descent, at 75%, but it’s only 46% for white patients of Middle Eastern or North African descent.
For black Americans of all ethnic backgrounds, the probability of finding an 8/8 matched donor ranges from 16% (the lowest figure) to 19%.
And figures range from 27% to 57% for Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans (which includes individuals from the Caribbean and North, Central, and South America).
The likelihood of identifying a 7/8 matched donor is, again, highest for white patients of European descent, at 97%. And it’s 90% for white patients of Middle Eastern or North African descent.
For black Americans of all ethnic backgrounds, the likelihood of finding a 7/8 matched donor ranges from 66% (the lowest figure) to 76%. And it ranges from 72% to 91% for Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans.
The probability of identifying a 6/6 cord blood match is low for all racial/ethnic groups, but age plays a role. For patients age 20 and older, figures range from 1%—for both African and black Caribbean patients—to 17% for white Europeans. For patients younger than 20, figures range from 6% to 38% for the same groups.
For patients 20 and older, the likelihood of finding a 5/6 cord blood match ranges from 23% for African patients to 66% for white Europeans. And for the younger age group, the figures range from 56% to 87% for the same groups.
“We cannot yet find a suitably matched and available donor for every patient,” Dr Confer noted. “So we cannot slow down our efforts to expand the registry and fund more research to overcome these challenges.”
“To find a match for all patients, it is critical that those who join the registry remain committed to donate when called, and that we continue to add people to the Be The Match Registry for racial and ethnic groups of highest need.” 
Credit: Chad McNeeley
New research suggests a majority of US patients who need unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplants can find a suitable donor on the Be The Match Registry.
However, the likelihood of finding an 8/8 HLA-matched adult donor is often low, particularly for patients of diverse ethnic or racial backgrounds.
And finding a 6/6 HLA-matched cord blood donor is a long shot regardless of race or ethnicity, although patients younger than 20 years of age have better odds.
These findings appear in NEJM.
“This research confirms that physicians should identify the best available donor with minimal delay,” said study author Dennis Confer, MD, chief medical officer at National Marrow Donor Program/Be the Match in Minneapolis.
“Transplant should not be postponed in anticipation of finding a perfect match. Using a suitable match reflects current clinical practice.”
Dr Confer and his colleagues built population-based genetic models for 21 racial and ethnic groups to predict the likelihood of identifying a suitable adult or cord blood donor for each group.
The researchers used data on HLA genotypes and cord blood unit cell doses from the National Marrow Donor Program’s Be the Match registry, which included 10,759,087 adult donors and 186,166 cord blood units at the end of 2012.
The team found the likelihood of identifying an 8/8 HLA-matched donor is highest for white patients of European descent, at 75%, but it’s only 46% for white patients of Middle Eastern or North African descent.
For black Americans of all ethnic backgrounds, the probability of finding an 8/8 matched donor ranges from 16% (the lowest figure) to 19%.
And figures range from 27% to 57% for Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans (which includes individuals from the Caribbean and North, Central, and South America).
The likelihood of identifying a 7/8 matched donor is, again, highest for white patients of European descent, at 97%. And it’s 90% for white patients of Middle Eastern or North African descent.
For black Americans of all ethnic backgrounds, the likelihood of finding a 7/8 matched donor ranges from 66% (the lowest figure) to 76%. And it ranges from 72% to 91% for Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans.
The probability of identifying a 6/6 cord blood match is low for all racial/ethnic groups, but age plays a role. For patients age 20 and older, figures range from 1%—for both African and black Caribbean patients—to 17% for white Europeans. For patients younger than 20, figures range from 6% to 38% for the same groups.
For patients 20 and older, the likelihood of finding a 5/6 cord blood match ranges from 23% for African patients to 66% for white Europeans. And for the younger age group, the figures range from 56% to 87% for the same groups.
“We cannot yet find a suitably matched and available donor for every patient,” Dr Confer noted. “So we cannot slow down our efforts to expand the registry and fund more research to overcome these challenges.”
“To find a match for all patients, it is critical that those who join the registry remain committed to donate when called, and that we continue to add people to the Be The Match Registry for racial and ethnic groups of highest need.”
Credit: Chad McNeeley
New research suggests a majority of US patients who need unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplants can find a suitable donor on the Be The Match Registry.
However, the likelihood of finding an 8/8 HLA-matched adult donor is often low, particularly for patients of diverse ethnic or racial backgrounds.
And finding a 6/6 HLA-matched cord blood donor is a long shot regardless of race or ethnicity, although patients younger than 20 years of age have better odds.
These findings appear in NEJM.
“This research confirms that physicians should identify the best available donor with minimal delay,” said study author Dennis Confer, MD, chief medical officer at National Marrow Donor Program/Be the Match in Minneapolis.
“Transplant should not be postponed in anticipation of finding a perfect match. Using a suitable match reflects current clinical practice.”
Dr Confer and his colleagues built population-based genetic models for 21 racial and ethnic groups to predict the likelihood of identifying a suitable adult or cord blood donor for each group.
The researchers used data on HLA genotypes and cord blood unit cell doses from the National Marrow Donor Program’s Be the Match registry, which included 10,759,087 adult donors and 186,166 cord blood units at the end of 2012.
The team found the likelihood of identifying an 8/8 HLA-matched donor is highest for white patients of European descent, at 75%, but it’s only 46% for white patients of Middle Eastern or North African descent.
For black Americans of all ethnic backgrounds, the probability of finding an 8/8 matched donor ranges from 16% (the lowest figure) to 19%.
And figures range from 27% to 57% for Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans (which includes individuals from the Caribbean and North, Central, and South America).
The likelihood of identifying a 7/8 matched donor is, again, highest for white patients of European descent, at 97%. And it’s 90% for white patients of Middle Eastern or North African descent.
For black Americans of all ethnic backgrounds, the likelihood of finding a 7/8 matched donor ranges from 66% (the lowest figure) to 76%. And it ranges from 72% to 91% for Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans.
The probability of identifying a 6/6 cord blood match is low for all racial/ethnic groups, but age plays a role. For patients age 20 and older, figures range from 1%—for both African and black Caribbean patients—to 17% for white Europeans. For patients younger than 20, figures range from 6% to 38% for the same groups.
For patients 20 and older, the likelihood of finding a 5/6 cord blood match ranges from 23% for African patients to 66% for white Europeans. And for the younger age group, the figures range from 56% to 87% for the same groups.
“We cannot yet find a suitably matched and available donor for every patient,” Dr Confer noted. “So we cannot slow down our efforts to expand the registry and fund more research to overcome these challenges.”
“To find a match for all patients, it is critical that those who join the registry remain committed to donate when called, and that we continue to add people to the Be The Match Registry for racial and ethnic groups of highest need.”