TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 1990
CHRONIC MYELOID LEUKAEMIA AT CHRONIC PHASE OR BARLY STAGR OF ACUTE TRANSFORMATION;
SEVERE APLASTIC ANAEMIA.
OR
"WE SHALL ACCEPT PATIENTS
THROUGH REFERRAL BY CONSULTANTS
PROM ALL REGIONS IN HONG KONG OF MEDICAL UNITS WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INITIAL INDUCTION CHEMOTHERAPY AND ARRANGING HLA COMPATIBLE SIBLINGS.
T
ACCORDING TO PROFESSOR CHAN,
TRANSPLANT-RELATED MORTALITY IS
15 TO 30 PER CENT, MOSTLY DUE то SEVERE INFECTION, ACUTE GRAFT-VS-HOST DISEASE (GVHD) AND OTHER ORGAN FAILURE. THE RELAPSE RATE OF DISEASE IS 20 TO 50 PER CENT.
"HENCE DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DISEASE AND STAGE OF ILLNESS, BMT OFFERS A 20 TO 65 PER CENT CHANCE OF CURE. WITHOUT TRANSPLANT, SUCH A PATIENT WOULD EITHER HAVE NO CHANCE OF CURE OR A CHANCE OF CURE BELOW 50 PER CENT.
"
PROFESSOR CHAN STRESSED THAT BMT HAS TO BE CORRECTLY ADVISED AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE TOTAL TREATMENT STRATEGY FOR A PATIENT. EACH PATIENT NEEDS TO RECEIVE ADEQUATE COUNSELLING ON THE PROS AND CONS, THE TYPE AND THE TIMING OF BMT.
THE BMT UNIT AT QMH IS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG (UNIVERSITY MEDICAL UNIT). IT CONSISTS OF 11 REVERSE ISOLATION ROOMS WITH POSITIVE PRESSURE FILTERED AIR-CONDITIONING. A SPECIAL LABORATORY EQUIPPED FOR PREPARATION AND STORAGE OF BONE MARROW IS IN USE.
**
"IN THE FIRST STAGE OF OPERATION, ONLY FOUR OF THE 11 BEDS ARE OPENED. EACH BED CAN ACCEPT EIGHT PATIENTS A YEAR, PROFESSOR CHAN SAID.
PROFESSOR CHAN ADDED THAT CLOSE CO-OPERATION AND PROFESSIONAL INPUT FROM ALL SUB-SPECIALTIES OF MEDICINE ARE IMPERATIVE. CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER UNITS, INCLUDING RADIOTHERAPY, TISSUE-TYPING, HAEMATOPATHOLOGY, TRANSFUSION SERVICE, MICROBIOLOGY, VIROLOGY,
DIETICIANS AND PHARMACY, ARE ALSO INDISPENSABLE TO THE SUCCESS OF THE
BMT PROGRAMME.
POR
"MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL IS THE EXPERT NURSING CARE REQUIRED THIS PROGRAMME. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE VERY DEDICATED NURSES, PROFESSOR CHAN NOTED.
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