Higher Risks of Toxicity and Incomplete Recovery in 13- to 17-Year-Old Females after Marrow Donation: RDSafe Peds...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Hematology
• Transplantation Medicine
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Pediatric bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation for allogeneic transplantation is established.
• Limited data exists on pain, symptoms, and long-term recovery in pediatric donors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate pain, symptoms, and recovery in pediatric donors (<18 years).
• To identify risk factors for adverse outcomes in pediatric BM/PBSC donors.

Main Methods:

• Prospective enrollment of 294 pediatric donors at 25 North American centers.
• Assessment of pain and symptoms pre-donation, peridonation, and at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year post-donation.

Main Results:

• 71% of pediatric donors reported pain and 59% reported other symptoms peridonation.
• Older females (13-17 years) reported higher pain levels, with 11% experiencing grade 2-4 pain at 1 year.
• 20-23% of adolescent donors (13-17 years) did not return to baseline pain levels by 1 year post-donation.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent females (13-17 years) are at increased risk for prolonged pain after BM/PBSC donation.
• A significant proportion of adolescent donors experience persistent pain one year post-donation.
• Further research is needed to mitigate symptoms and enhance recovery in older pediatric donors.