The EBMT conference
Earlier this year, we attended the EBMT 52nd Annual Meeting – one of the world’s largest cell therapy conferences.
The EBMT (European Blood and Marrow Transplant) is an organisation founded around the same time as Anthony Nolan, dedicated to bringing together the European community of professionals who work in the field of cell therapy. It aims to develop clinical practice, certify transplant centres and catalyse new cooperative research.
Colleagues from across Anthony Nolan attended the conference to share our organisation’s groundbreaking research, as well as to learn from other experts in the field about the latest advances in science and medicine.
We caught up with Dr Christina Yiallouridou and Tomos Lloyd-Roberts, who presented their research at this year’s conference and work as part of our Patient Reported Outcomes Research Team. Their research aims to give us a better understanding of the challenges faced by stem cell transplant patients, in turn helping us to develop solutions that meet the needs of patients and campaign for policy change.
Read on to find out about the research they presented on our landmark quality of life study, SEQoL at the EBMT 2026, as well as their key takeaways from the conference.
What is the SEQoL study?
Christina: In August 2024, we launched a landmark study called SEQoL, which stands for Scaled collection of socioEconomic and Quality of Life data. Through this study, we are aiming to understand the impact of a stem cell transplant on patients’ quality of life, as well as measure how quality of life is influenced by socioeconomic factors like education, employment and income.
Whilst a stem cell transplant can be lifesaving, the journey is often intensive and complex. Patients typically spend prolonged periods of time in hospital and require long-term follow-up care years after the treatment itself, which can have a profound impact on their quality of life.
At the EBMT 2026, we presented findings from a study that helped us shape and inform the SEQoL study. We investigated the quality of life of 60 patients in the year following their allogeneic stem cell transplant - when a patient receives stem cells from somebody else.
Survey data found that patients experienced a significant decline in their quality of life shortly after transplant particularly across their physical health, emotional wellbeing and social life, with many patients only partially recovering after a year. Interviews with patients also revealed ongoing difficulties such as fatigue, reduced stamina, and anxiety about relapse or future health problems.
By scaling data collection across a wide network of transplant centres across the UK, SEQoL aims to capture insights from a larger and more representative population of stem cell transplant patients. Through the SEQoL study, we want to understand the full impact of a stem cell transplant on patients’ quality of life, so that in the future, they can be given the right support both before and after their transplant.
How does SEQoL work?
Tomos: First and foremost, we work closely with stem cell transplant centres across the UK to help them prepare to begin recruiting for the study. As part of this, we provide transplant centres with tablet devices so that patients can complete surveys digitally and conveniently.
Patients who enrol in the study complete questionnaires about their quality of life and social circumstances. They are then asked to complete these questionnaires at different points throughout their treatment journey, including the day of their transplant (Day 0) and multiple times during their first year after transplant. From Day 100 onwards, the questionnaire also asks patients to report any graft versus host disease (GvHD) symptoms that they may be experiencing.
How is the study progressing?
Christina: We are really pleased with how the study is going so far and were thrilled to present our progress at EBMT this year. More than 650 patients have enrolled in the study since it launched and on average, 10 new patients are recruited each week.
There are currently 24 NHS transplant centres in the UK which provide adult allogenic stem cell transplants . 21 of these centres are currently recruiting for the study, with the remaining three due to start later this year which means we’ll hopefully be able to recruit even more patients!
Tomos: By March 2027, we are forecast to reach our goal of recruiting 1,175 patients to the study. We will then start to analyse the relationship between patient’s social circumstances, quality of life and transplant outcomes.
The data from the study will allow Anthony Nolan researchers like me and Christina to identify ways to improve care for patients, helping us to achieve our mission of creating a future where patients not only survive, but thrive.
What are your key takeaways from the EBMT conference?
Tomos: What stayed with me most from EBMT 2026 was the patient experiences. Hearing about the financial barriers cancer survivors face after treatment, including difficulties getting life insurance or a mortgage, was a powerful reminder that the impact of a stem cell transplant extends well beyond the clinical.
That's exactly why studies like SEQoL matter. By tracking quality of life and socioeconomic outcomes in stem cell transplant patients over the course of a year, we're trying to capture the full picture of what recovery actually looks like, and use that to push for better, more equitable care.
Christina: One of my key takeaways from this year’s EBMT conference was how much the focus has broadened to the realities of life after transplant. Conversations went beyond clinical outcomes to explore how recovery affects everyday life such as work, family and relationships.
Panel discussions explored in more depth the challenges of capturing patient reported outcomes (PROs) in a systematic way, with common themes including variation in measures, differences between patient groups and linking PROs with clinical and registry data.
These discussions highlight why studies like SEQoL are so important. Collecting PROs and socioeconomic data at scale enables us to better understand how factors like income, employment, education and living circumstances shape quality of life after transplant. This will help us to deliver more equitable support and improve access to information for stem cell transplant patients as they navigate recovery and daily life after transplant.
The SEQoL project is run by Anthony Nolan’s patient reported outcomes research team, and is funded by NIHR and Therakos UK.