Living with chronic GVHD
Living with chronic graft-versus-host disease (chronic GVHD) can be overwhelming for people who are directly impacted by the disease and for their caregivers.
Chronic GVHD is a potentially serious complication that can happen after an allogenic blood stem cell transplant.
Learning about chronic GVHD can help you understand what’s happening in your body and why. It can also help you understand IMPORTANT TREATMENT PLAN DECISIONS FROM YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL.
Chronic GVHD occurs when the stem cells from your donor (the graft) start attacking your body (the host) because they see it as foreign. This usually starts 100 or more days after the transplant and can last a few months or a lifetime.
About 30-70% of the people who receive stem cells from a donor develop chronic GVHD.
What happens in your body when you have chronic GVHD?
Chronic GVHD causes your immune system to become unbalanced, this leads to inflammation (swelling) and fibrosis (hardening, scarring).
Chronic GVHD may affect many different parts of your body
With chronic GVHD, almost any part of your body can be affected. It can range from being mild to severe and lead to different problems depending on which organs are affected.
Skin problems such as dryness, rash, itching, peeling, darkening, hard texture, and feeling tight
Stiff joints and trouble using your fingers, hands, elbows, knees or ankles
Dry eyes that may have a burning or gritty feeling
Infections
Dry mouth with or without mouth ulcers
Itchiness or pain of the vagina or penis
Diarrhea, loss of appetite, stomach cramps, vomiting
GVHD, graft-versus-host disease.
MAT-CA-2500090 (v1.0) 03/2025
