Yes, a half-match is called a "haplo-identical match". Chances are that 25% of a patient's siblings will be exact matches and another 50% will be haplo-identical matches. A patient's parents will be haplo-identical too; that's most relevant for pediatric patients. Other family members, such as aunts and uncles, can occasionally turn out to be haplo-identical matches too.
A 5-of-10 matched transplant is less ideal than a 10-of-10 matched transplant, but can still be successful. Unfortunately, you have limited choices and none are ideal. Have they told you that your dad has a 5-of-10 match or just that they will be checking for such a match?
The National Institutes of Health is experimenting with ways to make haplo-identical matches more successful, including using both the donor cells and a cord blood unit, but so far they are testing this procedure only with adolescents and younger patients.
Has the doctor suggested Dacogen (decitabine), another demethylating agent like Vidaza?
|