Health-related QoL of Bone Marrow versus PBSC Donors: A Pre-specified Subgroup Analysis from a Phase III RCT—BMTCTN protocol 0201

Hematopoietic stem cells can be procured from unrelated donors via either the bone marrow (BM) aspiration or peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection methods. There is no evidence from prospective randomized trials in the unrelated donor setting about the relative health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) benefits/costs to donors. The goals of this prospective longitudinal investigation were to describe and compare the donation-related HRQoL experiences of 332 BM and PBSC donors. Donors were interviewed at pre-donation, 48 hours after donation, weekly until fully recovered and at 6 and 12 months post-donation. Pre-donation, BM donors had lower confusion, fewer concerns, and were more prepared for donation. Shortly post-donation BM donors reported more physical side effects. BM donors also reported more donation-related impact on their social activities. However, BM donors reported somewhat better psychological status and were more likely to indicate that the donation made their lives more meaningful. There were virtually no longer-term differences in the experiences of the two donor groups including no recovery time difference beginning 3 weeks after donation. Although BM donors may experience the process as more physically stressful and more psychologically beneficial in the short-term, the longer-term HRQoL consequences of BM and PBSC donors are similar.