Opinion
Video
Practical Advice for Management of Chronic GVHD
The panel provides advice for community providers treating patients with chronic GVHD, stressing effective communication, staying updated on evolving drugs, and collaborating with specialized multidisciplinary groups for optimal patient care.
This is a video synopsis of a discussion involving Dr Yi-Bin Chen, Director of the Transplant and Cell Therapy Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; Dr Corey Cutler, Director of the Stem Cell Transplant Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; Dr Mitchell Horwitz, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Duke University, and Dr Hannah Choe, Assistant Professor and Director of the Graft-versus-Host-Disease (GVHD) program at Ohio State University.
The panel addresses the collaborative approach in caring for chronic GVHD patients, emphasizing the increasing partnership with community colleagues. Dr Chen highlights the challenges of patients living far away from transplant centers, leading to difficulties in continued follow-ups.
The discussion shifts to advice for community providers in managing chronic GVHD patients. Dr Choe stresses the importance of communication with primary transplant physicians, staying updated on rapidly evolving drugs, and encouraging the use of efficacious oral medications. She emphasizes the need for community providers to interface with specialized multidisciplinary groups for optimal patient care.
Dr Cutler underscores the message of partnership, expressing the desire to work collaboratively with community providers. He highlights the availability of communication channels, such as calls and video chats, and acknowledges the impracticality of frequent visits to specialized centers. Dr Horwitz adds a nuanced perspective, noting the stylistic and nuanced nature of chronic GVHD management.
The panel concludes with insights from Dr Horwitz, emphasizing the potent nature of medications like ruxolitinib and recommending treating patients as profoundly immune-compromised. Dr Chen expresses gratitude to the panel for the enriching discussion, thanking the audience for their participation and hoping the session proves valuable for the treatment of patients with chronic GVHD.
Video synopsis is AI-generated and reviewed by OncLive® editorial staff.
