A Teleconference With Related Donors Years After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

During and after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell donation, donors may experience adverse events. This situation can increase anxiety of candidate donors. Time to return to daily life routine and work, presentation of comorbid diseases in follow-up, and donor opinions are topics of interest.

We conducted a 14-question survey among related stem cell donors between January 2010 and March 2019 by telephone interview.

Of 257 related donors, 175 (68.1%) were interviewed; 87 (49.7%) were female and 88 (50.3%) were male. Among donors interviewed, 144 (82.3%) donated from only peripheral blood. After harvesting of stem cells, adverse events included hip pain (38.7%), bone pain (57.2%) during mobilization, and paresthesia (28.9%) during apheresis. After apheresis, 2 serious adverse events were reported in 2 (1.3%) female donors (1 salpingo-oophorectomy and 1 nephrectomy). Splenomegaly was observed in 1 male donor (0.7%). Among donors interviewed, 77 (44%) reported being able to perform daily activities on the same day. The shortest time to daily activity was in the peripheral blood group, and the longest was in the bone marrow group (P = .001). Among working donors, 23 (27.4%) returned to work on the same day; all were peripheral blood donors. Among donors interviewed, 114 (65.1%) wanted to volunteer to donate again. One donor (0.6%) expressed guilt after donation, and 162 (92.6%) recommended other people to be stem cell donors. During the follow-up period, musculoskeletal-joint diseases increased after donation (P = .012).

It is important to raise awareness in society about stem cell donation and to reduce the concerns among donor candidates. Although most of the adverse events after donation are temporary and mild, a few serious adverse events in donors have been observed. Stem cell donation does not cause loss of daily activity or inability to return to the work force.