No-Drug transplant shows promise for older blood cancer patients

This study tested a new type of transplant for people with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes who cannot have a standard bone marrow transplant. Instead of using strong drugs to suppress the immune system, doctors gave a small number of stem cells from a partially matched family donor. The main goal was to see if this approach could avoid a serious side effect called graft-versus-host disease. The study included 25 patients aged 65 or older, or younger patients unable to have a regular transplant.