Diagnosis and management of aplastic anemia. 2011

Eva C Guinan
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA. eva_guinan@dfci.harvard.edu

Aplastic anemia remains a diagnosis of exclusion. Our ability to reliably diagnose, and therefore exclude, a variety of inherited or acquired diseases with similar phenotypes has improved markedly. An efficient diagnostic plan is important because time from diagnosis to treatment is related to outcome regardless of the therapeutic option chosen. HSCT remains the mainstay of therapy for those with matched sibling donors, and results have improved even further in recent years. For those without a sibling donor, the high response and overall survival rates of combined immunosuppressive therapy (IST) have proven robust. Nonetheless, incomplete response, relapse, and progression to myelodysplasia/leukemia have more clearly emerged as significant long-term issues. Improvements in outcome of alternative donor transplantation and the use of established and novel immunosuppressive agents provide multiple alternatives for treating refractory or relapsed patients. Best practices in this regard are not yet clearly established and may vary by a variety of demographic and treatment-specific factors. Regardless of the type of therapeutic approach, patients require ongoing monitoring for occurrence of disease and/or therapy-related side effects.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007166 Immunosuppressive Agents Agents that suppress immune function by one of several mechanisms of action. Classical cytotoxic immunosuppressants act by inhibiting DNA synthesis. Others may act through activation of T-CELLS or by inhibiting the activation of HELPER CELLS. While immunosuppression has been brought about in the past primarily to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, new applications involving mediation of the effects of INTERLEUKINS and other CYTOKINES are emerging. Immunosuppressant,Immunosuppressive Agent,Immunosuppressants,Agent, Immunosuppressive,Agents, Immunosuppressive
D007502 Iron Chelating Agents Organic chemicals that form two or more coordination links with an iron ion. Once coordination has occurred, the complex formed is called a chelate. The iron-binding porphyrin group of hemoglobin is an example of a metal chelate found in biological systems. Iron Chelates,Agents, Iron Chelating,Chelates, Iron,Chelating Agents, Iron
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000741 Anemia, Aplastic A form of anemia in which the bone marrow fails to produce adequate numbers of peripheral blood elements. Anemia, Hypoplastic,Aplastic Anaemia,Aplastic Anemia,Anaemia, Aplastic,Aplastic Anaemias,Aplastic Anemias,Hypoplastic Anemia,Hypoplastic Anemias
D018380 Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Transfer of HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS from BONE MARROW or BLOOD between individuals within the same species (TRANSPLANTATION, HOMOLOGOUS) or transfer within the same individual (TRANSPLANTATION, AUTOLOGOUS). Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has been used as an alternative to BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION in the treatment of a variety of neoplasms. Stem Cell Transplantation, Hematopoietic,Transplantation, Hematopoietic Stem Cell

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