Subsequent malignancies after long-term follow-up of paediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Abstract Introduction Survival after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has improved dramatically in recent years. Unfortunately, there is an increased risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMN) in this population and this represents a significant cause of late mortality. Patients and methods In this study, we analysed the incidence of SMN and the associated risk factors in patients referred at a paediatric age for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allogeneic or autologous) in our centre. Results We observed 19 cases of SMN in a cohort of 371 patients, with a cumulative incidence of 6, 12, and 36% at 15, 20, and 30 years of follow-up, respectively. The solid tumours were the most prevalent malignancies. The risk was significantly higher than expected in the general population for each tumour type and in the different age ranges ( P Conclusions We observed a high incidence of SMN among hematopoietic stem cell transplantation survivors highlighting the need for life-long surveillance.