Developing Self-Management Interventions After HCT

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survival rates continue to increase as treatment
protocols improve. However, HSCT survivors face many mental, emotional, and physical
challenges that threaten quality of life (QOL), which, according to the American Society of
Clinical Oncology, is the most important treatment outcome next to survival. Psychoneurologic
symptoms (PNS) significantly diminish QOL after HSCT. PNS often co-occur and may be
associated with inflammation related to perturbations of the gut microbiota. This project
will track the interplay among these factors in 50 adult survivors of HSCT to lay the
groundwork for a targeted dietary self-management intervention to mitigate PN symptoms.This
is to be achieved by elucidating the complex bio-behavioral mechanisms of distressing
symptoms in HCT patients such as neurocognitive dysfunction, fatigue, anxiety, depression and
pain, inflammation (cytokines and C-reactive protein), gut microbiota [(GM) richness and
diversity] and diet (macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats and proteins).

Inclusion Criteria:

- patients scheduled for HSCT with the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at the UF Health
Cancer Center (UFHCC) [specifically bone marrow diseases,
myelodysplastic-myeloproliferative diseases, lymphoma, bone marrow neoplasm or
leukemia]

- Written informed consent obtained from the subject to take Mini-Mental State
Examination (MMSE) prior to enrollment on the study and to comply with all the
study-related procedures.

- Score at least a 24 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) prior to enrollment

Exclusion Criteria:

- Subjects with any of the following will not be eligible for study participation:

- Patient has prior history of HSCT

- Patient has diagnosis that could interfere with neurocognitive function such as
dementia, a concurrent diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematous or multiple sclerosis,
diagnosis of a major depressive disorder, schizophrenia or untreated bipolar disease.

- Pregnant women are not eligible for transplant therefore will not be enrolled on the
study

- Inability to comply with the study and/or follow-up procedures.