Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA)
Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a rare blood disorder that can be life-threatening if left untreated. SAA is thought to result from certain cells of the immune system inappropriately attacking healthy cells within the bone marrow. This leads to:
- A low white blood cell count, which increases the risk of infection
- A low red blood cell count, which decreases the ability to deliver oxygen and may cause fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath
- A low platelet count, which increases the risk of bruising and bleeding
The treatment of aplastic anemia may include immunosuppressant agents (shown below) or a stem cell transplant if a stem cell donor can be identified. A matched sibling donor is often thought to be be the best option, if one is available. The goals of these treatments are to restore the healthy bone marrow cells, prevent infection and bleeding, and to stop the need for blood or platelet transfusions.
Notice to user: The term chemotherapy, later shortened to “chemo”, originated in the early 1900s from Nobel Prize winning German physician and chemist, Dr. Paul Erlich. Dr. Erlich defined chemotherapy to mean “the use of chemicals as a therapy to treat disease.” (Source). Many years later, the term became synonymous with the use of chemicals to treat cancer specifically. Because early cancer therapies became quickly known for their severe side effect profile, the term chemotherapy took on a negative connotation. If we fast forward several decades, the anti-cancer therapies used today have become refined, and for many diseases, treatment can be safely taken in the comfort of your own home.
As chemotherapy has become particularly targeted, certain side effects have lessened, while new side effects have emerged. However, the premise behind therapy, that is using a chemical to kill cancer, has not changed. Therefore, the clinicians who created ChemoExperts.com believe the term “chemotherapy” still very much applies to all anti-cancer medications, but importantly, can no longer suggest what, if any, side effects a patient is likely to experience. For this to become clear, education regarding each individual drug, as well as information derived from the use of combination therapy (multiple chemo medications) is required. As a result, we have structured our website to make it easier for users to learn about cancer treatment and hope that if you are taking or receiving chemotherapy, that ChemoExperts.com is able to provide you with the tools needed to make the journey a little easier and life more rewarding.
Treatment Options
Created: March 7, 2018
Updated: March 7, 2018
