A single plasma biomarker predicted treatment resistance and death from graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation
In theory, the only curative multiple myeloma therapy is the allogeneic stem cell transplant. The challenge with allo transplants is graft vs. host disease aka GvHD. Roughly speaking, GvHD is when your body rejects the donors stem cells. This side effect is nasty and can cause death.
The theory is that only by replacing your own stem cells with someone else’s stem cells can you hope to cure your multiple myeloma. This is the theory anyway…
If patients undergoing allo stem cell transplant could identify their risk of GvHD earlier in the process, they could take steps potentially, to manage this dangerous side effect.
I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in early 1994. The MM therapy that I chose was an autologous stem cell transplant in 12/95. My reasoning at the time was that allogeneic stem cell transplants were just too dangerous.
Though my ASCT was only marginally successful and I sustained short, long-term and late stage side effects. I believe that both autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplants have come a long way since I had mine in 12/95.
Both types of stem cell transplantation are incredibly aggressive procedures fraught with potential adverse effects including short, long-term and late stage side effects.
It is not a matter of if you sustain side-effects but how severe your side-effects are. Because an allo transplant and GvHD can be so debilitating, I believe it is in your best interest to pursue all possible evidence-based therapies shown to prevent or moderate GvHD.
I am both a MM survivor and MM coach. I have learned that managing the collateral damage aka side effects can make or break the outcome of your stem cell transplant.
Are you considering undergoing a stem cell transplant?
To learn more about therapies and lifestyle issues to both enhance possible outcomes and reduce collateral damage of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, please scroll down the page, post a question or comment and I will reply ASAP.
thank you,
David Emerson
- Cancer Survivor
- Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
“Key Messages:
- A stem cell transplant (sometimes called a bone marrow transplant) is a medical procedure in which diseased bone marrow is replaced by highly specialized stem cells that develop into healthy bone marrow.
- There are two main types of stem cell transplants: autologous, in which the patient receives his or her own stem cells, and allogeneic, in which stem cells are donated by another person.
- Transplantation is a process that has several phases; your specific treatment plan can take weeks or months to complete.
- Talk with your doctor or another member of your health care team about stem cell transplantation so you can make informed decisions about your treatment plan.”
“A single plasma biomarker predicted treatment resistance and death from graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, researchers reported. “A biomarker can be a substance that is introduced into an organism as a means to examine organ function or other aspects of health
Compared with patients who had low levels of ST2 when beginning treatment, those who had high levels of ST2 had more than double the risk of having nonresponding disease…Patients who had high levels of ST2 also were almost four times more likely to die within 6 months…
While survival has improved among patients who develop GVHD after stem cell transplantation, only half show complete response after a month of high-dose glucocorticoid treatment, and those patients remain at high mortality risk.
“The improved risk stratification of patients with GVHD with the use of ST2 may permit early evaluation of additional therapies, before the development of resistant disease,” the investigators observed.
In addition, “the ability to identify high-risk patients with the use of ST2 soon after transplantation, before the development of GVHD, may permit more stringent monitoring and preemptive interventions,” they added.”
