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Consultation guidelines & outcomes

Note: The purpose of these guidelines is to outline general principles of HCT and the care of transplant recipients. They should not be used to replace the medical judgement or advice of an experience physician.

These guidelines identify appropriate timing of consultation for autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) based on disease characteristics. Evaluation and coordination of the timing of HCT for eligible patients is determined in collaboration with the transplant center. The consideration for HCT includes patient and disease characteristics. HCT consultations include risk-to-benefit consideration based on risk score assessments. Advances in HCT permit older patients with selected comorbidities and good functional status to safely undergo HCT for curative intent with a relatively low and acceptable risk of non-relapse mortality, thus age alone is not a contraindication for HCT. Our guidelines highlight disease categories that include patients at risk for disease progression and who should be referred for a consultation for autologous or allogeneic transplantation.

Early referral is a critical factor for optimal transplant outcomes. In many situations, there may be a narrow window of opportunity to proceed to transplant and delays might preclude transplant or impair transplant outcomes. If allogeneic transplant is potentially indicated, high-resolution HLA typing of the patient and potential family donors should be performed and a preliminary unrelated donor search of the NMDP RegistrySM should be completed at diagnosis.


HCT data trends

Overall volume trends and indications for transplantation show autologous and allogeneic HCT volume, age trends and disease indications for transplant.

This data was prepared by the CIBMTR® (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research®), a research collaboration between NMDPSM and the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Outcomes data (PPT)
Consultation timing data (PPT)
Post-transplant data (PPT)

Disease-specific experts

NMDP would like to acknowledge the following disease-specific experts who review and update these guidelines:
  • AML: Christopher Gibson, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Katherine Tarlock, MD, Seattle Children’s Hospital
  • ALL: Zachariah DeFilipp, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital; Marie Bleakley, MD, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • MDS: Zachariah DeFilipp, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital; Ann Dahlberg, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • CML: Vivian Oehler, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • MPN and MF: Rachel Salit, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • CLL: Mazyar Shadman, MD, MPH, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • JMML: Mignon Loh, MD, Seattle Children’s Hospital
  • Plasma cell disorders: Anita D’Souza, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin
  • NHL: Bhagirathbhai Dholaria, MD, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
  • HL: Medhi Hamadani, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Neuroblastoma: Julie Park, MD, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
  • Ewing Family: Douglas Hawkins, MD, Seattle Children’s Hospital
  • Medulloblastoma and Germ Cell Tumors: Girish Dhall, MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Mohamed Abdelbaki, MD, Washington University St. Louis
  • IDD: Chris Dvorak, MD, University of California San Francisco
  • IMD: Paul Orchard, MD, University of Minnesota
  • SCD: Elizabeth Stenger, MD, Emory University
  • Thalassemia: Mark Walters, MD, University of California San Francisco
  • HLH: Rebecca Marsh, MD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
  • SAA and other BMFs: Lauri Burroughs, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • Systemic Sclerosis: Keith Sullivan, MD, Duke Cancer Institute
  • Multiple Sclerosis: George Georges, MD, Northwestern Medicine

Clinical Trials Search and Support

NMDP offers the NMDP Jason Carter Clinical Trials Search and Support (CTSS) program, which can provide clinical trial navigation to your patients. The CTSS Program was created to help people with blood cancers or blood disorders and their families find and join clinical trials.

For more information, visit Clinical trials search and support.