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Purpose Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for the treatment of multiple myeloma and lymphoma patients has been reported to improve relapse-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Nonetheless, the impact on patient-reported outcomes, such as professional activity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains unclear. Patients and methods In a cross-sectional two-center study, we collected data of 122 patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy followed by ASCT for multiple myeloma (MM) or lymphoma between 2007 and 2023 at two German tertiary care centers through standardized questionnaires. Results The median age of all patients at diagnosis was 56 years (range 24–67 years). 17.9% of patients received a second ASCT. 55.0% and 61.9% of patients achieved a complete remission after first and second ASCT, respectively. The median time to resumption of employment was 167 days and the overall rate of return to work (RTW) was 56.0%. Following ASCT, 29.0% of patients reduced their working hours and 95.4% had a recognized disability status. The median quality of life/health status QLQ-C30 score after ASCT was 66.7 out of 100. A QoL/health status of 50 was significantly associated with a lower rate of resumption of professional activity (HR 0.44, 95% CI: 0.26-0.78, p = 0.02). 86.0% of all patients reported fatigue symptoms. The QLQ-MY20 score for fears of the future was significantly higher than for disease symptoms and therapy side effects (p 0.0001), indicating that after ASCT, psychological symptoms affected patients more than somatic aspects. Conclusion Our study suggests that long-term toxicities of ASCT significantly impact patients’ HRQoL and impair their professional activity. Treatment should include an assessment of mental health and socioeconomic status and provide necessary support.
Hamm et al. (Thu,) studied this question.