Quality of Life of Sickle Cell Disease Patients After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: a Longitudinal Study

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is one available curative treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD). The process of deciding in favor or against the procedure encompasses several factors, including the prospect of improving long-term quality of life (QoL). The present study aimed to assess the QoL indexes of adult patients with SCD who underwent allogeneic HSCT. In this descriptive, exploratory, cross-sectional study, patients were assessed before and at 1 and 2 years after transplantation, by the Generic Questionnaire for Quality of Life Assessment (SF-36). For each of the eight components of SF-36, the differences between assessments at each time point (pre-HSCT, 1 year, and 2 years) were compared. The population was composed of 14 patients (nine males) with a mean age of 28.07 years. The results showed significant increase in all eight components of the SF-36 in the three time points compared, evidencing that even long-term after the procedure, the QoL continues to increase. The physical components of SF-36 improved since the first year post-HSCT. Important variables for the preservation of QoL were detected: not having developed GVHD, being gainfully employed, and having more than 8 years of schooling. Importantly, there was also a delayed but significant increase in the mental component of SF-36, here shown as unprecedented data. These results reaffirm that it is worth investing in HSCT for sickle cell patients.