The research team at Catholic Blood Hospital, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Catholic University of Korea, using data from the National Health Insurance Corporation, from January 2002 to December 2018 5177 subjects were extracted from the ‘healthy general group that did not receive hematopoietic stem cell transplantation’. After allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, we compared and analyzed the incidence of other solid cancers in addition to existing blood diseases. This is the first large-scale study in Korea to investigate the correlation between hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cancer incidence.
As a result, patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation had an approximately 1.7 times higher risk of solid cancer than the general group. By cancer type, the risk of stomach cancer was 3.7 times higher, and head and neck cancer, gynecological cancer, thyroid cancer, and colorectal cancer were 3.2 times, 2.7 times, 2.1 times, and 2 times higher, respectively.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the most commercialized cell therapy to kill blood cancers by transplanting healthy hematopoietic stem cells to patients with hematologic tumors such as leukemia, malignant lymphoma, and multiple myeloma through high-dose chemotherapy or systemic radiation. . In particular, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is being used as a curative treatment method for blood cancer, and controlling subsequent complications is the key to secure successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation results.
The Catholic Blood Hospital meticulously manages patient complications such as infection and graft-versus-host reaction that may occur following an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in a patient. In addition, life management education is provided to patients and their guardians to protect patients with weakened immunity following transplantation. However, there is a limit to preventing and diagnosing cancer secondary to other solid organs only through blood hospital treatment.
Professor Park Seong-soo (Hematology Department) at the Blood Hospital who led this study said, “As the risk of secondary cancer following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which is already confirmed overseas, was first confirmed with domestic big data, patients who received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were It is necessary to actively utilize health check-ups such as cancer screening to prevent malignant tumors that can occur other than blood diseases,” he said.
Professor Kim Hee-je (Hematology Department), head of the Hematology Hospital, said, “Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for the treatment of blood cancer and cell immunotherapy including CAR-T can have unexpected systemic side effects, so close observation is necessary. A multidisciplinary treatment system that provides not only management of exacerbations but also overall health management of patients is essential,” he emphasized.
The results of this study were published online in May prior to the official publication of the international academic journal ‘International Journal of Cancer’. Reporter Jang Jong-ho [email protected]