Download the Transplant Outcomes & Treatment Decisions brochure
“I wanted to be educated about my disease and transplant, but only to a certain extent. I didn’t want to know percentages. That was too scary for me. However, my husband did want to know. There are definitely different informational needs and ways to learn and it’s important all are recognized.”
—Wendy, transplant recipient
Survival and quality of life outcomes are 2 types of treatment outcomes (results). Both are important to keep in mind when choosing the best treatment for you. If your doctor doesn’t tell you about outcomes for your disease and transplant, you may want to ask about them.
Survival outcomes tell you how many people with a certain disease were alive at a specific time after diagnosis or after a specific treatment, like a transplant.
Quality of life outcomes tell you how well a group of patients were doing in different areas of their life after transplant. These areas could include physical, emotional, and social health and other parts of everyday life, like work or spirituality.
What outcomes can and can’t tell you
Outcomes are one piece of information that can help you make a treatment decision. But outcomes don’t tell the whole story.
Outcomes can tell you how patients with a similar disease and treatment have done as a group. Your doctor can also use outcomes to help you decide when to get a transplant. Outcomes can’t tell you how you will do. You may respond differently to your transplant than someone else. No two people are exactly the same. Your doctor can’t know for sure how your body and the disease will respond to treatment.
Remember, your doctor is the best person to explain what outcomes may mean for you.