Risk Factors
Factors that put a patient at risk for VOD
While veno-occlusive disease (VOD) can occur in any patient receiving stem-cell transplant, there are factors that may increase the risk of developing VOD.
These include:
- Some current or prior conditions, such as cancers or noncancerous blood disorders
- Certain patient characteristics
- Previously received medications or treatments
What factors put a patient at risk for VOD?
Current/prior conditions
- Advanced disease: beyond second complete remission or relapsed/refractory disease
- Preexisting liver conditions
- Metabolic syndrome
- Thalassemia, a blood disorder
Patient characteristics
- Older age (in adult patients)
Medications/treatments
- Allogeneic stem-cell transplant (stem-cell transplant with cells from another person)
- Second stem-cell transplant
- Unrelated stem-cell donor (stem-cell transplant from a donor that is not related to the patient)
- Current or previous use of drugs that damage the liver, including those used to prepare the bone marrow for stem-cell transplant
- Female taking the hormone norethindrone, a form of birth control
What additional factors put a CHILD at risk for VOD?
Current/prior conditions
- Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, also known as HLH, an immune cell disease
- Adrenoleukodystrophy, also known as ALD, a genetic brain disease
- Osteopetrosis, a bone disease
- Neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that affects immature nerve tissue
- Juvenile myelomonocytic chronic leukemia
- Chronic blood disorders, such as thalassemia or sickle cell disease
Patient characteristics
- Low weight
- Age less than 2 years old
Downloadable guide to VOD
Print a brochure with information on VOD to share or keep for reference.
The content on this site is not intended to replace a conversation with your transplant team. Only a trained healthcare professional can evaluate your symptoms and make a diagnosis.