Younger bone marrow donors ‘improve outcomes’ in myelodysplastic syndrome

A study shows avoiding older sibling donors reduces patient relapse

Use of younger, unrelated donors for bone marrow transplants in myelodysplastic syndrome is associated with higher disease-free survival and lower relapse rates, a study shows.

Given the limited treatment options and poor prognosis for relapsed disease, the US researchers say allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) from such donors could be preferable to using older sibling donors.