Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP): A Treatment for Some Patients with Graft-versus-Host Disease

Summary: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common complication after a stem cell transplant. Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) can be an effective treatment for certain types of GVHD. This presentation explains how ECP works and its potential benefits for patients with significant GVHD. Presenter: Molly Gallogly MD, PhD, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center To read the transcript, go to: https://bmtinfonet.org/video/extracor... Highlights: ECP is a type of light therapy that's performed on blood cells that are removed from the body, exposed to ultraviolet light, and then returned. ECP can be an appropriate treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe GVHD that has not responded to steroid therapy. ECP is most effective in patients diagnosed with acute GVHD that affects the skin. Response rates are lower for patients with chronic GVHD but it has shown some effectiveness in patients whose chronic GVHD affects the skin, mouth, GI tract or liver. April 2024, Part of the Virtual Celebrating a Second Chance at Life Survivorship Symposium 2024 Presentation is 45 minutes long with 25 minutes of Q & A. Key Points: (05:42): There are two types of GVHD: acute and chronic. Acute GVHD primarily attacks the skin, stomach, intestines, and/or the liver. Chronic GVHD affects additional organs including the mouth, eyes, lung, musculoskeletal symptoms and blood cells. (06:58): Steroids are typically the first line of treatment for GVHD. (07:25): If steroids fail to control GVHD, patients are given one of two FDA-approved drugs to treat the steroid-refractory GVHD. (08:10): If second line therapy fails, ECP is one treatment that patients may be offered. (10:18): ECP interrupts the attack by donor immune cells on healthy organs by changing the level of chemicals called cytokines that cause inflammation. It also affects the level of immune cells that cause GVHD. (10:57): The effectiveness of ECP is difficult to evaluate for several reasons. (12:47): Reported response rates to ECP for patients with acute GVHD are about 60% . For chronic GVHD patients,, reported response rates range from roughly 33%-75%, depending on a number of factors. (14:27): The frequency and duration of ECP vary by hospital or clinic administering the therapy. (14:56): Typical ECP appointments can take up much of the day to complete the process. (21:12): ECP is a relatively safe form of treatment for GVHD because it does not significantly increase infection risks, decrease blood counts or create drug interactions. Meet the speaker:https://www.uhhospitals.org/doctors/G... VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:   / bmtinfonet     / bonemarrowstemcelltransplantclub     / bmtinfonet   https://x.com/BMTInfoNet   / bmt-infonet