Trajectories of quality of life during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: longitudinal cohort study.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an integral part of the therapy for many hematological malignancies. HSCT greatly impacts quality of life (QoL). However, few studies evaluate patients' QoL throughout hospitalization for HSCT. This study aimed to measure the trajectory of patients' QoL during HSCT depending on the type of transplantation (auto vs. allo-HSCT). Participants completed FACT-BMT at four time points: on admission to the hospital, on the day before HSCT, six days after HSCT, and on discharge from the hospital. A total of 153 participants completed the study, 51.6% female (mean age 50.4 years). Most patients were treated with auto-HSCT (54.9%), while the remainder received allo-HSCT (45.1%). The analyses showed significant differences in the magnitude of QoL during the hospitalization period (p < 0.001). The overall QoL trend was parabolic, deteriorating from admission, reaching its lowest six days after HSCT, and then improving at discharge, but not returning to the baseline level. The trajectory of the changes in QoL was not influenced by the type of transplantation (auto-HSCT or allo-HSCT) (p = 0.901). QoL changes dramatically following HSCT. Psychosocial interventions before and after HSCT are needed to prepare patients for possible concerns related to prolonged hospitalization, even as physical well-being improves.