FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2008

BUFFALO, NY – A clinical trial developed at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) to manage graft vs. host disease (GVHD) in post-allogeneic blood and marrow transplant (BMT) patients has shown promising results. 

Lisa M.Privitere, RN, OCN, Nurse Administrator at RPCI, has been invited to describe the clinical trial and present its early findings at the 33^rd Annual Congress of the Oncology Nursing Society, May 15-18, in Philadelphia.                   

Methotrexate, a drug which interferes with cell growth, is commonly used in regimens designed to prevent or limit GVHD. However, methotrexate can prolong and worsen oral mucositis (painful ulcerative lesions of the mouth and throat) and can delay BMT engraftment.

Allogeneic BMT patients who develop oral mucositis often experience difficulty with daily activities such as eating, drinking, swallowing and talking − all of which impacts clinical outcomes due to increased and complicated hospital stays.

The purpose of the clinical trial was to determine if micro doses of methotrexate could reduce the incidence and severity of mucositis, while having no impact on the time to engraftment.

Micro doses of methotrexate were administered to four patients for GVHD prophylaxis. Preliminary findings show reduced incidence and severity of mucositis, while not affecting the time to BMT engraftment in two evaluable patients. Based on these promising results, this GVHD prophylaxis regimen may benefit patients clinically and economically after transplant.

Anne Smith, RN, OCN, and Kathleen West, Pharm D, departments of Nursing and Pharmacy at RPCI, respectively, collaborated on the study.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs both nationally and internationally. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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