Allogeneic stem cell transplantation for severe aplastic anemia and myelodysplasia

Stem cell transplantation is an effective treatment for anemia associated with stem cell disorders such as severe aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome. Long-term survival rates after transplantation for those diseases range from less than 40% to more than 80%. The rates are significantly affected by recipient's age, HLA disparity between donor and recipient, sources of stem cells, and disease status. Results are best in younger patients transplanted with bone marrow from HLA-identical sibling at the early course of the diseases. The decision of whether and at what point to proceed to transplantation should be made early after diagnosis, based upon the consideration of a survival rate with reasonable quality of life expected with transplantation and other therapeutic approaches.