Supportive care for children with cancer. Guidelines of the Childrens Cancer Study Group. Prevention of graft-vs.-host disease.
Graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) can occur in cancer patients who receive blood products containing viable histoincompatible lymphocytes during a time when these patients are immunosuppressed from cancer therapy. Irradiation of all blood products prior to infusion obviates the problem. Doses of 1500-5000 rad (cGy) can be used without altering nonlymphocytic cellular function. Facts concerning the development of graft-vs.-host disease as well as guidelines for the irradiation of blood products for prevention of graft-vs.-host disease are presented and discussed.
D002648:Child; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000276:immunology; D065227:Transfusion Reaction