Common queries in thalassemia care.
Beta thalassemia is a common genetic disorder in Indians. Around 10,000 thala-ssemia major cases are born every year. The treatment of thalassemia major patients imposes a financial burden on the family. Much progress has been made in last 15 years in understanding of the pathogenesis of thalassemia and development of effective management(1). These include development of a promising new oral iron chelator, intensive preparative regimens for stem cell transplantation and better vectors for gene therapy. In the present article, we highlight the common questions asked by the family and the general practitioners on thalassemia care.
Panigrahi
Inusha
I
Hematology Oncology and Genetics Units, Advanced Pediatric Center, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (P.G.I.M.E.R.), Chandigarh 160 012, India. inupan@yahoo.com
Marwaha
Ram Kumar
RK
D001803:Blood Transfusion; D015913:Chelation Therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003676:Deferoxamine; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013156:Splenectomy; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D003676:Deferoxamine