By DoM Communications | Date published: February 12, 2026
4th Year Medical Student Under Mentorship of Jan Cerny Reports Outcomes of Adults Older than 70 Years Undergoing Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation
As the global population ages, the demand for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) has increased significantly among older adults. In a recent study published in Leukemia Research, Ishan Bhatia, MS4, Class of 2026, Jan Cerny, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and Co-Director of the Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Program at UMass, and their collaborators have reported the outcomes of patients older than 70 years of age, with significant proportion of patients being over 75 years of age, who underwent alloSCT with graft-vs-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis regimens either including post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and/or without cyclophosphamide (non-Cy).
According to Ishan and Dr. Cerny, this study is unique as it encompasses a high number of patients in this age group undergoing alloSCT. The findings of the study confirmed that alloSCT is feasible and beneficial in patients older than 70 years using the above-mentioned regimens. The UMKASS BMT team continues to be involved in several national research studies that are aimed at identifying potential patient, clinical, and disease characteristics that would continue to improve treatment approaches and in turn treatment outcomes in this age high risk group of patients.