title: Providing a cure for beta thalassaemia major.
abstract: The current treatment options for beta thalassaemia major patients include conservative treatment with blood cell transfusions and iron chelation or stem cell transplantation. Regular blood transfusions inevitably lead to multi-organ haemosiderosis and are attended by risks of blood-borne infections. Results from stem cell transplantation are good and suggest that this should be offered as first line therapy when a matched sibling donor is available because the patient is often cured and able to live a normal life. Of 38 Malaysian children who underwent bone marrow or cord blood transplantations using matched sibling donors, 29 (76%) are now cured.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Ariffn
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ariffin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000628:therapy*