How we approach patient evaluation for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

The evaluation of patients for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a complex process. The decision to recommend transplantation is not simply dependent on patient diagnosis; instead it is a specialized analytic decision process intricately dependent on a number of variables including patient age, performance status, medical comorbidities, family support structure, socioeconomic viability and motivation to participate in self-care, to name a few. The process of pre-transplant patient evaluation has substantial variability across different transplant centers, owing to lack of formal published guidelines. This review summarizes the process of pre-transplant patient evaluation and workup, and aims to describe components of a well-organized and evidenced-based patient selection process for SCT.