NIH Consensus Conference
Considers Chronic GvHD

Standards for the diagnosis and evaluation of chronic GvHD and the need for common nomenclature to communicate about the disease were principal concerns at an NIH Consensus Conference on Clinical Trials for cGvHD on June 6 in Bethesda.

Papers from the conference’s six working groups will be published this fall in Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Researchers studying chronic graft-versus-host disease met to share information and recommendations on the development of future clinical trials for the disease.  Six working groups reported findings from investigations into the design of clinical trials, diagnosis and staging, biomarkers, histopathology, response criteria and ancillary therapy and supportive care. 

The conference was co-chaired by Dr. Steven Pavletic of the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research and Dr. Georgia Vogelsang of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  The conference was held on the first anniversary of the NIH Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease.  “In just one year we have laid the foundation for a new cycle of research in chronic GvHD,” Dr. Pavletic said.

About 6,000 cancer patients in the United States are treated by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants each year, and chronic GvHD is reported in about half of them. 

A public comment period is currently in progress until Aug. 5. The working group documents can be found at:  www.palladianpartners.com/gvhd/docs. 

Anyone wishing to provide input for the working committee draft documents is welcome to address comments to the working group chairs by e-mail at jkazares@palladianpartners.com.