Transfusion and stem cell support in cancer treatment.

Overview

Intensification of therapeutic regimens, improved patient survival, and advances in cytokine and cellular therapies have led to increasingly complex requirements for transfusion and stem cell support in cancer treatment. This article focuses on current and evolving issues in red blood cell, platelet, and granulocyte transfusion support, as well as measures to avoid increasingly important complications of transfusion therapy, such as alloimmunization, graft-versus-host disease, cytomegalovirus infection, and immunomodulation. Issues concerning current applications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and future prospects also are discussed.