Dr. Couriel Discusses Treating GVHD With Photopheresis

Daniel R. Couriel, MD, Clinical Director, Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, Unversity of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the additional clinical value of photopheresis, an FDA approved treatment for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, which he encounters as a bone marrow transplant physician.

Photopheresis can be used for patients with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a common complication that occurs after a blood, stem cell, or bone marrow transplant. GVHD is characterized by selective damage to the skin, liver, lungs, and other organs.

Couriel shares examples of successfully using photopheresis to treat common GVHD clinical manifestations in the skin and liver. He notes the skin complications improved but did not revert to normal. The most dramatic results were observed in patients with liver involvement. These patients often experienced a complete normalization of abnormalities after the use of photopheresis.