Caregiver Support in the Coping of Patients Who Are Undergoing a Donor Bone Marrow Transplant

Adjustment to Illness by Survival Rates in Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT): The Relative Importance of Lay Care-Partner Support

RATIONALE: Questionnaires that measure coping may improve the ability to plan supportive care for patients undergoing donor bone marrow transplant.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying coping in patients who are undergoing a donor bone marrow transplant.

OBJECTIVES:

• Investigate the relative importance of having a consistent inpatient lay care-partner for patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, in terms of the effects on modes of adjustment to illness and survival.

OUTLINE: Patients undergo a 40-minute recorded oral interview in person to provide personal and social demographic data using a 20-item questionnaire (The Adjustment to Illness Questionnaire-Bone Marrow Transplantation) at baseline (pre-transplant) and at day 100 post-transplant.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 40 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Medically suitable for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Resides locally in the Cleveland, Ohio area

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Not specified