[gina66]

PRCA has been my diagnosis for 3 yrs. now. This dx is usually assigned if the RBC is the only one affected. My opinion with this dx is that you may be treated with meds. or chemo that were used for different dx like MDS, RA, etc. Red blood cell aplasia I think could maybe a precursor for a more specific disease later in life or maybe due from the chemo a patients were subjected during the course of this dx thus it may turn into MDS. I would suggest to see if doctors can give you bone marrow biopsy once a year. I had 3 BMB. There was a 2 yr. gap from the last I had last Nov. 10 at UCLA. I would suggest to have a bone marrow biopsy at a very good clinic. My first 2 BMB was inconclusive. There was some 2-3 % monoclonal B cell abnormalities but not significant for any specific disease. I had prednisone, cyclosporine, Cytoxan, dacogen, campath, and retuxin. Having PRCA you get to try with trial and error with different meds/tx used for different bone marrow and auto immune diseases. The result of my BMB at UCLA is still inconclusive. The monoclonal B cells abnormality is not found anymore which was probably killed by Rituximab. There is a bone marrow fibrosis(scarring of tissue) found which may mean different things. I continue to have blood transfusion mostly every 3 weeks and it has been for 3 years now. Dr. Paquette arranged for further genetic mutation testing for diseases. Until then, my dx is still PRCA. Good thing with me is that my health feels normal until my HGB goes down to 6.5 or below. Best of health to you.