Health care utilization by adult long-term survivors of hematopoietic cell transplant: Report from the bone marrow transplant survivor study

Authors

Sadhna M. Shankar, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Andrea Carter, City of Hope National Med CenterFollow
Can Lan Sun, City of Hope National Med Center
Liton Francisco, City of Hope National Med CenterFollow
K. Scott Baker, University of Minnesota Twin CitiesFollow
James G. Gurney, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Daniel G. Weisdorf, City of Hope National Med Center
Stephen J. Forman, University of Minnesota Twin CitiesFollow
Leslie L. Robison, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Marcia Grant, City of Hope National Med Center
Smita Bhatia, City of Hope National Med CenterFollow

Abstract

The high intensity of therapy and prolonged immune suppression after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) increase the risk of long-term complications and health care needs among survivors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current status of health care utilization by long-term HCT survivors and to identify factors associated with lack of utilization. A total of 845 individuals who had undergone HCT between 1974 and 1998 at age 21 years or older and survived 2 or more years after HCT participated in the study. Health care utilization was assessed through a mailed questionnaire in three domains: general contact with health care system, general physical examination, and cancer/HCT-related visit. The median age at HCT was 38.2 years, and the median length of follow-up was 6.4 years. Overall, 98% of allogeneic and 94% of autologous HCT survivors reported medical contact 11+ years after HCT. Cancer/HCT-related visits decreased with increasing time from HCT (allogeneic HCT, 98-57%; autologous HCT, 94-63%). The prevalence of general physical examination increased with time (allogeneic HCT, 56-74%; autologous HCT, 72-81%). Primary care physicians provide health care for an increasing number of adult long-term survivors of HCT, emphasizing the need for increased awareness of the long-term follow-up needs of the HCT survivors by the health care providers. Copyright © 2007 American Association for Cancer Research.

Publication Title

Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention

Recommended Citation

Shankar, S., Carter, A., Sun, C., Francisco, L., Baker, K., Gurney, J., Weisdorf, D., Forman, S., Robison, L., Grant, M., & Bhatia, S. (2007). Health care utilization by adult long-term survivors of hematopoietic cell transplant: Report from the bone marrow transplant survivor study. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, 16 (4), 834-839. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-06-0714