Medical treatment late effects, quality of Life and psychosocial sequelae in pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an intensive therapy which is used with increasing frequency for a variety of paediatric malignant and non malignant diseases. The therapeutic success of paediatric HSCT is improving and in the two last decades several studies have outlined the significance of quality of life and psychological adjustment of pediatric patients at the various time-points linked with HSCT (pre HSCT, immediate post HSCT, long term consequences). This chapter will review the research published in the last 20 years on quality of life, psycho-social sequelae and medical treatment late effects on health in patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation during their childhood. The information emerged from the review of the literature will be discussed with special attention to methodological issues. Directions for future research will be proposed.