Secondary malignancies after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Advances in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have led to an increasing number of cures of malignant and non-malignant diseases with this therapeutic approach. Long-term survivorship may, however, be associated with secondary malignancies, the result of a complex interaction of treatment-, recipient- and immunosuppression-related factors. Furthermore, the increasing use of donors other than human leukocyte antigen-identical siblings is associated with more intense immunosuppression, delayed immune recovery and higher incidence of B-cell post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders. Here, we review the incidence and the risk factors associated with these complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplants.