Effects of management of heavy menstrual bleeding of patients undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Objective: To investigate the benefits of menstrual management in women undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), in whom heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) can be an underestimated bleeding complication.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients who had undergone HSCT in the Gynecological Endocrinology Clinic of Peking University People's Hospital were included over 10 years. The data of hematology and menstruation for all participants were collected. The management methods of the intervention group include gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa), combined oral contraceptives (COC), or low-dose mifepristone. Patients who did not receive management were included in the control group.

Results: There were 112 patients included in the intervention group and 218 patients included in the control group. In all, 90.0%(297/330) of patients presented with HMB before HSCT. In the control group, 83.5%(182/218) of patients experienced menstruation in the laminar air-flow room (LAFR), whereas only 22.3%(25/112) did in the intervention group. After leaving the LAFR, the incidence of recurrent uterine bleeding was significantly reduced in the intervention group (17.9%(20/112/) versus 50.9%(111/218), p < 0.001). Patients who did not undergo menstrual management had a higher risk of bleeding than those who did (odds ratio 18.12, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Menstrual management significantly reduces the incidence of HMB in HSCT patients and acts as a protective factor to prevent menstrual bleeding in the LAFR.