Summary
Children with cancer have a new treatment option instead of bone marrow transplants: umbilical cord blood.
Original source:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200410/s1228205.htm
Details
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Doctors say this treatment could save the lives of up to 100 children each year.
- Australian doctors are pioneering a new cancer treatment for children who cannot find a compatible donor for a bone marrow transplant.
- The procedure involves giving a double donation of umbilical cord blood.
- When nine-year-old Brad Hubbard was diagnosed with leukaemia, doctors could not find a suitable match for a bone marrow transplant, so they decided to try something never attempted before in Australia.
- They gave him donations of blood, harvested from the umbilical cords of two new-born babies.
- "It's not clear why two is better than one but it clearly is," Professor Marcus Vowels, from the Australian Cord Blood Bank, said.
- The blood contains stem cells which help rebuild bone marrow destroyed by cancer treatments.
- After a world-wide search, Brad received donated blood from a baby girl in Australia and a baby boy from Europe.
- He says he is not worried about having a girl's blood in his veins.
- "I don't really care much, as long as I'm better.
- I'll always be a boy," he said.
- The double donation meant Brad began to heal faster.
- Three months after his treatment, he has been given the all clear.
- Doctors say this treatment could save the lives of up to 100 children each year and given its success it will now be used on adults.
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