Stem cell transplantation (SCT) or bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has evolved from a heroic, experimental therapy of last resort to a standard therapy for many high-risk leukemias and the preferred first option after leukemic relapse (Sanders, 1997; Santos, 2000; Treleaven & Barrett, 1998; Wingard, 1997). The indications for SCT have widened to include a number of other malignant disorders, including lymphomas, solid tumors, and even brain tumors, as well as to a growing number of nonmalignant disorders (Meller & Pinkerton, 1998; Santos, 2000; Treleaven & Barrett, 1998). The growth of bone marrow registries that allow for wider use of unrelated donor transplants and developments in stem cell selection techniques that allow for haplotype transplants using mismatched family donors, including parents, have greatly increased the availability of SCT as a viable treatment option for seriously ill children (Mehta & Powles, 2000). At the same time, advances in supportive care have led to improved survival outcomes and thus to a rapidly growing number of long-term survivors of SCT (Santos, 2000; Treleaven & Barrett, 1998). Yet, despite the extraordinary medical and technical advances that have saved the lives of many children, SCT remains a high-risk medical procedure involving a prolonged and physically demanding treatment regimen that can challenge the coping capacities of patients and their families. Psychosocial research in pediatric SCT has progressed more slowly, but available studies indicate that SCT is a stressful experience that can have a negative impact on the social functioning, self-esteem, and general emotional well-being of survivors (Barrera, Pringle, Sumbler, & Saunders, 2000; McConville et al., 1990; Parsons, Barlow, Levy, Supran, & Kaplan, 1999; Phipps, Brenner, et al., 1995; Phipps & Barclay, 1996; Rodrigue, Graham-Pole, Kury, Kubar, & Hoffman, 1995; Stuber, Nader, Yasuda, Pynoos, & Cohen, 1991; Vannatta, Zeller, Noll, & Koontz, 1998). A number of studies have also focused on parental response to SCT (Barrera et al., 2000; Kronenberger et al., 1998; Manne et al., 2001, 2002; Phipps, Dunavant, Lensing, & Rai, 2004; Rodrigue et al., 1996; Streisand, Rodrigue, Houck, Graham-Pole, & Berlant, 2000). Much of the literature to date has focused on long-term outcomes in survivors, particularly neurocognitive and academic outcomes.
Australasian Trends in Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Myelofibrosis in the Molecular Era: A Retrospective Analysis from the Australasian Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient Registry
