Many people have asked what a donor lymphocyte infusion (aka donor leukocyte infusion) is. Here is some good information on the procedure.
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Over the past 25 years, bone marrow transplantation has increased cure and long-term survival rates for patients diagnosed with leukemia and other blood disorders. Nonetheless, many patients who successfully weather the risks and complications of a bone marrow transplant (BMT) later relapse.
Formerly, the only treatment option that offered relapsed BMT patients hope of a cure was another bone marrow transplant. However, the risk of serious, life-threatening complications after a second BMT is great.
One strategy of managing relapse, called donor leukocyte infusion, may eliminate the need for a second BMT in some patients.
What is donor leukocyte infusion?
Donor leukocyte infusion is the infusion of your donor's lymphocytes (white blood cells), obtained from blood donated by your original bone marrow donor. These donated white blood cells contain cells of the immune system that can recognize and destroy cancer cells.
The goal of this therapy is to induce a remission of your cancer by a process called the graft-versus-tumor effect (GVT). The donor T-cells can attack and control the growth of residual cancer cells providing the GVT effect. It is hoped that the donor leukocyte infusion will cause GVT and lead to a remission of your cancer.
Who can benefit from a donor leukocyte infusion?
The majority of donor leukocyte infusions have been given to patients with relapsed chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), although patients with relapsed acute leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), myelodysplasia (MDS), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and multiple myeloma have also been treated successfully with a donor leukocyte infusion.
What are the possible side effects of this procedure?
Unfortunately, graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) often accompanies graft-versus-leukemia effect. In GvHD, the donated bone marrow or stem cells view the recipient's body as foreign, and the donated cells/bone marrow attack the body.
GvHD can affect the skin, liver and intestinal tract. GvHD is occasionally life-threatening and often requires admission to the hospital for treatment. GvHD treatment is usually steroids which suppress the immune system and sometimes can lead to infections. GvHD, and its treatment, can be fatal.
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Adrienne was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease in 1996 at age 9. She had multiple relapses, two bone marrow transplants, and a range of chemos and radiation therapies, and passed away on October 1, 2009. We are heartbroken.
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About Adrienne
- Adrienne
- Adrienne was very much like others with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, the most common cancer in teens and young adults. What was unusual is that she had it for more than half her life and ultimately, it took her life. Hodgkin's is curable for about 80% people, but Adrienne was one of the 20% for whom a cure was elusive. She considered herself lucky since treatments had been there for her with each relapse but she ran out of treatment options and her body just couldn’t take any more. As she said, "Though I’ve now had cancer for most of my life, I no longer plan my life around it; instead, I try to plan cancer around my life." We hope you can take inspiration from her and how she lived her life.
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