Considering a Bone Marrow Transplant

[mcints]

What are the pros and cons of continuing CLL therapies versus having a bone marrow transplant (BMT)? Dr. Philip Thompson, a CLL expert from MD Anderson Cancer Center, shares his thoughts on this question.

patientpower.info/video/con...

[Justasheet1]

Sounds like for those that can hang on in W&W a few more years, BMT won't be much of an option. Drugs and Car-T is where all the big money seems to be going.

I like this Doc but he seems pretty young. That's not a bad thing and I'm sure he's brilliant.

Jeff

[Scarmag in reply to Justasheet1]

He is brilliant, caring and has vast knowledge beyond his years concerning CLL and other types of leukemia. As icing on the cake excellent internal medicine knowledge and a great sense of humor!

[Hidden]

I personally know or have known 3 individuals that have undergone BMT/SCT. All had more aggressive blood cancers. The process is brutal; you first have to go through aggressive chemo to wipe out any traces of cancer in the marrow, and then after the infusion of stem cells you need to live for 90 days in a pretty germ free environment that is minutes from the treatment center, and you can feel pretty sick during initial phases. One of my acquaintances is doing well years after, one is at day 73, and one died shortly after the transplant from complications. She was in her early 70s. Truly a risky last chance theory.

[Justasheet1 in reply to Hidden]

KC,

Were any of them like the video? Feeling good and enjoying a remission like described as the best chance for success when they rolled the dice?

Jeff

[Hidden in reply to Justasheet1]

No. This was their last chance. One relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma, one relapsed from a very aggressive leukemia, and another (the one that died) had been treated multiple times for an aggressive leukemia, had no real working immune system left, and was living on blood transfusions. No one in their right mind would roll the dice to do a SCT, if they were in remission and felt good. A 20% mortality rate and a significant chance of serious long term complications if you survive doesn't sound very good to me.