For patients with hematological cancers of poor prognosis (acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes…), proceeding to allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation (AlloHCT) is the definitive curative approach. While AlloHCT is an invasive procedure, patients experience social isolation and distressing symptoms when hospitalized. Indeed, patients often report high levels of anxiety and/or depression during hospitalization and upon discharge. A number of risk factors have been linked to psychological morbidity and their impact on post-AlloHCT relapse have been less investigated. Of note, the health locus of control may play a significant role in determining patients' health-related behaviors. The health locus of control is defined as the set of beliefs a person has about his or her personal influence on health, including an internal locus of control (i.e. personal actions or thoughts can affect outcomes) and an external locus of control (i.e. outcome is believed to be determined by powerful others: God, health professionals, chance…). In this context, the aim of the study REACT is to identify the types of locus of control in relapsed patients after AlloHCT and the possible association with current disease perception as well as further therapeutic strategies.
Allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation (AlloHCT) is a robust therapeutic that is used as a consolidation strategy in a number of haematological cancers. It provides durable responses as compared to chemotherapy alone. Despite the potential of the graft-versus-tumor effect that is driven by AlloHCT, relapse after AlloHCT remains common. Yet, the psychological impact of relapse after allograft is poorly appreciated.