The Risks of Stem Cell Transplantation for Thalassemia Patients
Abstract
The most prevalent monogenic hematologic illnesses worldwide are thalassemias. Unfortunately, thalassemia transplants make up a very small percentage of all transplants performed worldwide. Therefore, it is imperative that organisations such as the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation collaborate in order to establish and sustain dedicated transfusion and transplant initiatives aimed at addressing thalassemia in nations where Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has become a safer procedure and can be utilised to treat a broader spectrum of ailments due to advancements in transplantation techniques and supportive medical practises. However, it is still difficult to choose suitable transplant candidates.
The identification of adult patients who may derive potential benefits from HCT necessitates the comprehensive evaluation of several patient and illness-related criteria. These considerations encompass the patient's overall health status, prior therapeutic interventions, age, presence of comorbidities, as well as the specific disease and its associated risk factors. A risk-benefit analysis should be used to decide which patients are eligible for transplants individually. Various assessment methods benefit the decision-making process, such as the disease risk index and patient-specific criteria like the HCT-specific comorbidity index
