For Immediate Release
The Ethics and Risks of Expecting Teen Siblings To Be Transplant Donors
Contact: Kathryn Ryan
914-740-2250
kryan@liebertpub.com
New Rochelle, NY, August 11, 2015—A sibling may often be the best match for a patient who needs a stem cell transplant, but especially for adolescent donors, who are at a vulnerable age, factors such as the responsibility to donate versus a perception of free choice and the potential for anxiety and guilt in the face of complications or poor outcomes demand careful consideration. The benefits, burdens, and risks of adolescent sibling stem cell donation are discussed in an article in Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (JAYAO), a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the JAYAO until September 11, 2015.
In "Matched Marrow, Sibling Shadow: The Epidemiology, Experience, and Ethics of Sibling Donors of Stem Cells," Meaghann Weaver, MD, MPH, Ashley Carr, CCLS, and Brandon Triplett, MD, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis, TN) and Douglas Diekema, MD, MPH, Seattle, Children's Research Institute, WA, focus on a range of issues unique to adolescents with siblings that require a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Along with familial expectations, and positive feelings of altruism and self-worth, the scenario may include health risks, pain, and psychological burdens.
"The role of the sibling in providing life sustaining stem cells has for too long been taken for granted," says Editor-in-Chief Leonard S. Sender, MD, University of California, Irvine and CHOC Children's Hospital, Orange, CA. "This paper highlights some of the issues and challenges the AYA community to rethink the role of the sibling in all the complex interplays that occur in the cancer patient/family relationships."
About the Journal
Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (JAYAO) is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the promotion of interdisciplinary research, education, communication, and collaboration between health professionals in AYA oncology. JAYAO provides a forum for AYA cancer research and practice advances for all professional participants and researchers in care for AYA-aged cancer patients and survivors. The Journal’s multidisciplinary editorial board and readership includes but is not limited to: pediatric, medical, and surgical oncologists of all types and specialties; oncology nurses and advanced practice staff; psychosocial and supportive care providers including psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers; translational cancer researchers; and academic- and community-based pediatric and adult cancer institutions. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (JAYAO) website.
About the Society
The Society for Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (SAYAO) is an international professional organization dedicated to improving adolescent and young adult cancer care through the promotion of interdisciplinary research, education, communication, and collaboration among health professionals. Patients and survivors aged 15-39 are a distinct patient population within oncology, and SAYAO focuses on the unique biological, clinical, psychosocial, and survivorship issues of this age group.
About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative medical and biomedical peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of Palliative Medicine and Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s 80 journals, newsmagazines, and books is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.