Adult-related haematopoietic stem cell donor experiences and the provision of information and psychosocial support: A systematic literature review

Abstract

For blood cancer patients, haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) donated by a relative can be lifesaving. However, related donors can face significant physical and psychosocial challenges. As the demand for adult-related HSC donors is increasing, it is important to review our understanding of adult-related HSC donors’ need for and availability of information and psychosocial support with a view to identifying gaps in the literature. A systematic review of relevant studies (2000–2017) was conducted using five databases with supplementary hand searching. Sixteen studies involving 1,024 related HSC donors met the following criteria: English or Dutch language, peer-reviewed, sampled first-time-related..