The National Anemia Action Council (NAAC) has just unveiled their new interactive tutorial, Blood and Bone Marrow Basics, here’s a brief description of  the tutorial, and the organization, a great resource for those struggling with bone marrow failure disorders: Blood & Bone Marrow Basics is an interactive patient education tutorial which explains the different types of [...]

Anh Nguyen Reiss, a 43-year-old Vietnamese immigrant, a mother, and an obstetrician/gynecologist in Houston, was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndromes this year. She requires a matching Vietnamese stem cell donor to survive.

Aplastic Anemia is a rare and debilitating hematological (blood) disorder that can be caused by exposure to benzene, a known carcinogen. Though life threatening, if detected early, the disease can be managed and even cured. The following article from aplasticamemiasite.com is a useful resource for those seeking a comprehensive overview of aplastic anemia treatment options. [...]

This article discusses recent studies on the success of azacitidine (Vidaza®) treatment in reducing transfusion dependency, and increasing overall survival in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Data presented at the 14th Congress of the European Society of Hematology demonstrate that treatment with azacitidine (Vidaza®) significantly extends overall survival and helps patients with myelodysplastic [...]

At the recent annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, Florida, a coalition of cancer patient advocacy organizations led by The International Myeloma foundation (IMF), and the Myelodysplastic Syndromes Foundation (MDSF), brought to light a new "statement of principles" designed to aid cancer patients. The statement called for equal insurance coverage, [...]

A Chance to Save A Life For those suffering from blood disorders caused by benzene exposure, such as aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and acute myelogenous leukemia, bone marrow stem cell transplants can be a life saving therapy. May is National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) month, is a great time to consider a life saving marrow [...]

For those diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), a rare blood disorder linked to benzene exposure, bone marrow transplants are a life saving therapy.  Historically, the problem with these transplants has been the difficulty of finding compatible donors for patients. Sarah Ruiz, a brave Hawaii teenager, has participated in a clinical trial and become the [...]

A recent study conducted at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and Solove Research Institute reveals that there is a promising treatment for older patients suffering from acute myloid leukemia (AML). According to researchers, phase II of the study found that older patients treated with the drug decitabine had a higher than expected recovery [...]

An 18-year-old boy living in Napa Valley, California, had extra reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving. After a three month stay at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Grant Beltrami recently received news that he is finally responding to the treatment he’s being given for aplastic anemia. Stem cells have been donated to Beltrami as part of [...]

Each year more people are diagnosed with leukemia and other forms of cancer; however, cancer treatments have also come a long way as more research and discoveries are made. Pills and various drugs have replaced bone marrow transplants for some patients and there are now genetic tests that can improve cancer care. The staff at [...]