Deteriorations in Dyspnea, Exercise Capacity, Physical Activity and Quality of Life of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Survivors Versus Healthy Individuals: a Retrospective, Cross Sectional Study

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a prevalent curative treatment approach for a large variety of diseases affecting hematopoietic systems. More than 50.000 HSCT are implemented all over the world annually. Despite having complex aspect, allogeneic-HSCT also serves as an important chance of survival and cure for patients with hematological malignancies. Allogeneic-HSCT recipients have at least 2-year survival rate, yet long term complications such as chronic health conditions, life-threatening diseases, musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary disorders may occur in recipients following HSCT due to general state of immunosuppression and medications. Besides pulmonary complications existed in 30-50% of HSCT recipients, pulmonary infiltrates especially after allogeneic HSCT is an ongoing challenge for recipients. All toxic treatments received to cure hematological malignancies including HSCT and various complications seen after HSCT may induce muscle weakness, decreased submaximal exercise capacity and oxygen consumption via impaired skeletal muscle oxygenation in most allogeneic-HSCT long-term survivors. Therefore, European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group recommends that allied health-care professionals should take part in team for a successful dynamic process of allogeneic-HSCT.

Limited number of studies reported impairments in exercise capacity, physical activity and quality of life in allogeneic-HSCT recipients. However it is not known that to what extent dyspnea, exercise capacity, physical activity and quality of life impair in allogeneic recipients who were over 100 days status post transplantation versus age-gender matched healthy individuals so far. Therefore aspiration of current study was comparison of dyspnea, submaximal exercise capacity, physical activity level and quality of life in allogeneic-HSCT recipients with healthy individuals.