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Mikhail A. Maschan, M.D., Head of the Department of General Hematology, is telling:The Departments of General Hematology and Marrow Transplantation are the clinical base of the Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology. They specialize in treatment of the most grave blood conditions in children: aplastic anemia, acute myeloid leukemia, congenital immune deficiencies and other serious defects of the immune and blood systems. Aplastic anemia is found in 2 to 6 children per million each year. It is an immune defect of the bone marrow: the marrow loses the ability to produce mature blood cells: RBCs, WBCs, and platelets. Each of these cell types has its narrow specialization: red blood cells (erythrocytes) transport oxygen from the lungs to tissues, platelets are responsible for cessation of bleeding, and white blood cells (leukocytes) are necessary to fight infections. If the amount of these cells is insufficient, children begin to suffer from hemorrhages and severe infections, which are often fatal. Without specific treatment, 90% such children die within 6 months. The best cure for aplastic anaemia is transplantation of the bone marrow from a matching sibling donor, but 
only 25% patients have such donors. Those who do not have a matching
donor may try another very efficient kind of treatment, the so-called
immunosuppressive
therapy. If these methods are applied at an early stage, their combined
effect provides recovery of 80-85% patients; however,
as time ticks away, the results of the treatment quickly deteriorate.
Each variant of the therapy costs $25.000-35.000.Acute myeloid leukemias are found in 6 to 10 children per million each year.  ;
They are the most malignant forms of child leukemia. If not
treated, 100% patiens die within two months.
Leukemic cells typical of this form of disease are highly resistant to
chemotherapy, and so only the most aggressive therapy, usually accompanied by
bone marrow transplantation, can lead to recovery. The treatment of
patients goes on for 5 to 6 months; it is based on very intensive
chemotherapy, which sharply reduces the platelet and WBC counts
and requires frequent blood transfusions and long-term
application of antibiotics and antifungal agents.
Treatment of one child with acute myeloid leukemia costs about $20.000;
in the case of marrow transplantation, the cost
rises to $40.000-50.000. The cost
of transplantation from an unrelated donor is much higher, since
search for a matching marrow donor in the world data bank and subsequent
transportation of the marrow to Russia require $25.000-30.000.The doctors and nurses of our departments are young but 
experienced specialists with brilliant education, trained in leading
clinics of France, Austria, and the United States. We annually treat about
20 patients with
aplastic anemia, 10 patients with acute myeloid leukemia, and perform 15
marrow transplantations. In addition to treating children, we also train young
doctors from all over Russia, which gives us hope that our positive
experience may spread beyond the limits of our clinic. Unfortunately,
due to shortage of funds, we can help only one-third of children that we could
treat if the clinic were used in the optimum way: the Department of
General Hematology could take 120-150 patients per year, and the
Department of Marrow Transplantation could provide treatment for
45-50 children.During recent years, thanks to the help from our sponsors (both companies and individuals), we have significantly enhanced the results of treatment for both aplastic anemia and leukemia. Presently our results are no worse than those achieved in advanced Western clinics. We are grateful to all our sponsors, many of whom we do not even know personall. We invite them to visit our wards, to meet our doctors, our patients and their parents, and to feel the atmosphere of hope created by our friends. |
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