|
I too totally respect and understand the decisions of those who choose transplant. After all, I have a compatible brother and was preparing for transplant when I had the wonderful and rare reduction in blasts which took me from being on the cusp of RAEB II to RCMD. This has given me more time to consider it.
I think age makes a big difference to the decision one makes. If one of my children was at risk of AML I'd probably be encouraging them to try a transplant if that was an option. I am nearly 4 years along from diagnosis, fit and well 95% of the time, and being monitored with 4-weekly blood tests and 3-monthly haematologist consultations (just extended from 2 monthly). I know a lot more now than I did then, partly from being on this forum and partly from doing other reading. Apart from my sensitivity to strong drugs, I find the fact that chemo can induce MDS to be quite unnerving.
"Cure" statistics are often quoted on this forum without any qualification as to age group, seriousness of the original condition, what the cytogenetics were, whether the person had any other health issues, whether the survivors are battling chronic GVHD, etc. I would be interested in recent valid statistics for people in my age group, 3+ years post-transplant, who have come through and are actually well again.
__________________
Dx MDS RAEB 10% blasts + hypogammaglobulinemia, Sep 2011. Jan 2012 BMB - blasts down to 2% w/out treatment so BMT cancelled. Re-diagnosis RCMD. Watch and wait from Feb 2012. IVIg 5-weekly. New diagnosis Oct 2019 AML 23% blasts in marrow, 10% blasts in peripheral blood.
|