Stem Cell Treatment

Hi PDSA, It's been a while.

I'm just curious about Stem Cell treatments since our team doctor(pro basketball team) has been more than convinced about it's effectiveness. He's even going out of his way just to set up an appointment for me and my wife to discus with a doctor who has done many successful Stem cell procedures here in the Philippines, not specifically for ITP. But for a host of other ailments and conditions.

It is quite expensive though.

Any thoughts?

I think that is a very drastic way to treat and I am not sure I'd consider it for ITP. How are your counts, symptoms and response to treatments?

I'm in agreement with Sandy. My sister has a different blood disorder and an overeager doc in a study she's in was really pushing it for her. We have a cousin whose husband is a pediatric oncologist and did his residency in Seattle at one of the premier centers that was one of the first to do Stem Cell transplants. So she called him for input.

His recommendation was that she didn't have severe enough symptoms to even consider it. It's a big and serious undertaking. Things like having a specialized firm come in and sterilize your home before you come back from the hospital and being very isolated for up to a year after the procedure until your immune system has reset itself.

On the other hand, they are doing successfully it on 70 year old luekemia patients. It's a matter of can you manage the symptoms or are you to a point where more intensive treatment is warrented.

Thanks for your replies

Sandi: My son hasn't had any platelet counts in months. We are assuming it's in the 25-50 range based on the daily/weekly symptoms of big bruises and random nose bleeds.

Bunni: I know of a politician that underwent this procedure and was successful. Even his memory and speech seemed to be sharper..... not that i'm gonna vote for him, haha.... but the point being there are a few testimonials that swear of the effectiveness. I was told of it to be of German tech that's here in the Phils.

Of course, every parent wants his son to get off steroids and so i'm searching for the best treatment. My son's dose is at 6 mg and he weighs around 115lbs more or less 50ks. Rituxan isnt popular here yet and our pedia hema doesnt know squat re ritux

Bunnie wrote: His recommendation was that she didn't have severe enough symptoms to even consider it. It's a big and serious undertaking. Things like having a specialized firm come in and sterilize your home before you come back from the hospital and being very isolated for up to a year after the procedure until your immune system has reset itself.

My mother had one of these for myeloma. She didn't have any of the sterilising your home thing that you talk of. But I agree it's far too risky a procedure for ITP.

Athos, there are plenty more treatments than steroids. Find another doctor who knows about them and gives you more options.

Athos:

Yes, there sure are other treatments that would be less risky. If your hemo isn't familiar with them, there must be another hemo around who is.

There was a woman on here who did have a stem cell transplant for Lupus. She also had ITP with the complication of APS and was on blood thinners with low counts. Her Lupus symptoms really affected her quality of life and treatments were not working. She had the transplant and nearly died from complications. She was on life support for weeks and it was a year of hospitals and rehab before she could finally function on her own. Her ITP is in remission, but she still has Lupus symptoms that remain.

I think stem cell transplants have their place if the patient will certainly die without it, or if quality of life is affected so much that one cannot function and have a normal life. I wouldn't tell you not to consider it for your son, but I wouldn't do it just to get him off of steroids when there are other options.

Thanks for your responses. I didnt know there were complications to the treatment. The way it was explained to me was not clear re the "negatives".

BTW, the treatment cost of Stem Cell here is 2M pesos... its 44 pesos to a dollar so a guestimate would be 50k USD more or less. 3 years ago it was double that price.

I totally agree with you guys that there are better options than this. That's why there's this website/discussion, for all of us trying to find a cure.

Thanks again guys for getting my thinking straight. THis place is the best