New drug therapy to combat GVHD in stem-cell patients shows significant reduction in deaths

Source: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Date: January 23, 2006

Summary:

Gastrointestinal graft-vs.-host disease is a common and potentially deadly side effect for patients who undergo an allogeneic stem-cell transplant to treat certain blood cancers. Now, new research from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center shows that adding a widely used topical corticosteroid to the standard treatment for GVHD kept the disease in remission and significantly reduces deaths one year after therapy.