Aplastic anaemia is a rare but serious blood disorder. The disease occurs due to damage to stem cells within the bone marrow. Severe forms of pathology require immediate treatment. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is the main method of fighting this insidious disease.
Every year about 18,000 patients turn to foreign clinics for bone marrow transplantation. Doctors in foreign medical centres have many years of experience in performing such procedures. Read this article to learn where to go for treatment of aplastic anaemia.
What is aplastic anaemia?
Aplastic anaemia is an autoimmune disease in which the body is unable to produce blood cells in sufficient quantities. The disease causes a deficiency of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. It occurs at any age. However, the peak incidence occurs between the ages of 15-30 years and above 60 years.
At an early stage, aplastic anaemia does not have a pronounced symptomatology. Patients have increased fatigue, frequent bleeding and infections. The development of the disease leads to an increase in symptoms. The most common signs are:
constant fatigue;
unexplained haematomas on the body;
haemorrhages;
recurrent infections or flu symptoms;
irregular breathing;
the appearance of small red dots on the skin;
headache;
fever.
The causes of the appearance of half of the cases of aplastic anaemia are unknown. But the development of this pathology is influenced by:
genetic predisposition to the disease;
autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus);
exposure to chemicals;
infectious diseases (hepatitis, cytomegalovirus, HIV);
medication;
radiation exposure.
30-70% of healthy bone marrow is made of blood stem cells. In aplastic anaemia, these cells are destroyed and replaced by fat. Diagnosis is based on blood tests and biopsy. During a biopsy, a sample of bone marrow is taken with a special needle. The procedure is performed under local anaesthesia. In the laboratory, the number of blood cells is checked under a microscope.
Ideally, the diagnosis should be made by an experienced doctor in a specialised bone marrow centre.
Treatment of aplastic anaemia abroad
The first stage in the fight against aplastic anaemia consists of the use of immunosuppressants and blood transfusion. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is used in severe forms of pathology. This procedure is performed on patients under 30 years of age. Both first-line relatives and unrelated compatible people can be donors. After transplantation, all blood cells are restored. BMT significantly reduces the risk of recurrence.
Dr Neal Young, Director of the Center for Human Immunology at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, said:
“The available treatments and prognosis for aplastic anaemia are getting better every year. For patients, especially children who have an HLA-matched donor, bone marrow transplantation is the best treatment with an excellent prognosis for recovery. We have some data to suggest that even in the absence of a related donor, it is possible to perform successful BMT from a partially compatible donor even in elderly patients. Another good news for patients is the availability of modern immunosuppressive drugs. Approximately ⅔ of the patients with aplastic anaemia show a remarkable response to such treatment and have a good long-term prognosis”.
Treatment of aplastic anaemia in Turkey
Foreign patients come to clinics in Turkey for BMT. Among the most popular medical centres for the treatment of aplastic anaemia are:
Memorial Clinic Network (Antalya, Ankara, Istanbul);
Koç University Hospital (Istanbul);
Liv Clinic Network (Istanbul, Ankara);
Hisar Clinic (Istanbul).
Memorial is the largest medical network in Turkey. More than 2 million patients from 167 countries are treated here annually. One of the priority areas of the medical centre is bone marrow transplantation. Memorial Hospital has a dedicated Organ Transplantation Centre.
Memorial’s aplastic anaemia treatment success rate is one of the highest in the country. More than 95% of bone marrow transplants are successful.
Transplants are possible from related and unrelated donors. Memorial cooperates with the International Donor Bank. The search and selection of a suitable donor is as fast as possible. After surgery, Memorial patients are treated in single rooms equipped with HEPA air filters. These air filtration systems minimise the risk of infection. This is especially true for patients after BMT.
We can recommend Dr Emre Tekgündüz, who specialises in bone marrow transplants, as one of the doctors at Memorial Hospital. Tekgündüz is an experienced specialist with more than 20 years of experience. He sees patients at the Bahçelievler Memorial Centre.
Aplastic anaemia treatment at leading hospitals in Turkey
Liv Hospital | Top haematologists, transplantologists and oncohaematologists in the country treat aplastic anaemia at Liv Hospital. Among them is Professor Oral Nevruz. He has been practising for more than 38 years. The success rate of BMT performed under the doctor’s supervision is more than 95%. |
Koç Hospital | Aplastic anaemia is treated by foreigners at Koç University Hospital (Istanbul). This hospital has its own Transplant Centre. Autologous and allogeneic BMT is performed here. The Centre is headed by Professor Münci Kalayoglu. He has thousands of successful organ transplants to his credit. |
Hisar Clinic | In Hisar, advanced aplastic anaemia is treated by bone marrow transplantation. The Organ Transplantation Centre operates here. It is equipped with the latest technology. Professor Mehmet Yılmaz and Professor Ali Eser, the best transplantologists in Turkey, work at the Centre. These doctors have more than 30 years of experience. |
Treatment of aplastic anaemia in Spain
To combat aplastic anaemia, patients choose the Quironsalud Madrid University Hospital and the University Hospital of Navarra. The key focus areas of these medical centres are haematology and transplantology.
Quironsalud Hospital Madrid is part of the Quironsalud network. This hospital has been in operation since 2007. More than 20 doctors of Quironsalud Madrid were included in the TOP 100 best specialists in Spain according to FOCUS magazine.
Professor Luis Madero is the head of the medical centre. He specialises in paediatric and adolescent oncohaematology. The doctor performs bone marrow transplants. He is the author of 12 books on paediatric oncohaematology and haematology. Luis Madero has more than 40 years of experience.
The University Hospital of Navarra is one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country. It is accredited by Joint Commission International. In 58 years of operation, it has treated more than 600,000 patients from 70 countries. According to the FBA Consulting organisation, about 95% of patients are satisfied with the level of care provided by the hospital. The Oncohaematology Department of the Hospital of Navarra accepts adults and children from the age of 3.
Treatment in Israel
Medicine in Israel is among the most developed in the world. More than 50,000 foreign patients are treated here every year. Israel ranks 19th in the ranking of the most developed healthcare systems compiled by US News & World Report in 2023. Oncohematology and haematology are the leading fields of Israeli medicine.
Foreigners are treated for aplastic anaemia in such medical institutions in Israel as:
Sheba Clinic (Tel Hashomer);
Sourasky Ichilov Medical Centre (Tel Aviv);
Hadassah Medical Centre (Jerusalem).
The Sheba Clinic is a multidisciplinary public hospital. It holds a leading position in treating foreign patients. According to Newsweek magazine, the hospital was ranked among the 10 best medical centres in the world. The Bone Marrow Transplant Centre of Sheba Hospital is one of the largest and most advanced institutions of this profile in Europe. The number of BMT and stem cell transplants is close to hundreds and thousands respectively.
The Ichilov Clinic is a wide-ranging hospital that sees about 2 million patients a year. The world-famous haematologist of Israel – Professor Avivi Irit (Avivi Irit) – practices here. She heads the department of haematology. The doctor treats benign and malignant blood diseases. Hundreds of successful BMTs have been performed under her supervision.
Hadassah Hospital is a medical centre with a century-long history. Every year, approximately 1.5 million patients are treated here. The haematology department treats patients with blood oncopathology, immune system diseases and bone marrow dysfunction. More than 150 BMTs are performed here each year. Hadassah Hospital accepts international patients.
Prognosis of treatment
Without treatment, severe aplastic anaemia has a high risk of death. Modern drug therapy or stem cell transplantation is highly effective. The 5-year survival rate of patients after BMT is 75%.
Survival rates for stem cell transplantation vary depending on the age of the patient and the availability of a compatible donor. The 5-year survival rates after transplantation are:
90,7% for patients under 20 years of age;
90,5% for patients between 20 and 40 years of age;
70,7% for patients under 60 years of age;
38,1% of patients over 60 years of age.
With standard therapy protocols, the survival of patients with aplastic anaemia with a good response to drug therapy (BMT or immunosuppressors) may be comparable to the average person. Patients who have successfully crossed the 1-year survival threshold have a very good chance of recovery.
Summary
Aplastic anaemia is an autoimmune disease that causes a deficiency of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The disease can occur at any age.
Aplastic anaemia is a disease for which bone marrow transplantation is the most effective treatment. Before the procedure, the patient’s affected bone marrow is destroyed with drugs and/or radiation. It is then replaced with a donor organ.
Foreign patients choose clinics in Turkey, Spain and Israel to treat aplastic anaemia.
Severe aplastic anaemia has a high risk of death without treatment. Modern drug therapy or stem cell transplantation have high efficacy rates. The 5-year survival rate of patients is 60-75%.
For aplastic anaemia treatment abroad, please contact the experts at MediGlobus. Our coordinators will help you with choosing a clinic and organising a medical trip. Submit an application!
Sources:
- 1. The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation
- 2. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
- 3. National Library of Medicine
- 4. International Digital Organization for Scientific Information: Allogenic Stem Cell Transplantation for Hematological Malignancies and Severe Aplastic Anemia: A Single Center Experience from Turkey
- 5. Haematologica: Long-term survivors in severe aplastic anemia: standard mortality rates now comparable to controls?
- 6. Haematologica: Incidence and outcome of acquired aplastic anemia: real-world data from patients diagnosed in Sweden from 2000–2011
- 7. Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation: Cutting Edge Approaches to Aplastic Anemia Treatment
- 8. U.S. News Best Countries rankings and Quality of Life subranking
