Bone marrow transplant, the five million dollar treatment Sergio Peris-Mencheta underwent

Sergio Peris-Mencheta has overcome the leukemia he suffered from and has just published a book called 730 Days , which chronicles his struggle with the disease.

Among other things, such as the fact that he is still battling the side effects, he explained that he was treated at a medical center in Los Angeles (United States) that he was able to access thanks to the actors' union insurance , since "it cost almost five million dollars."

In addition to other therapies, the actor had to undergo a bone marrow transplant , a complex procedure with great risks but which is often the main treatment for leukemia.

What is it and what is it for?

Bone marrow transplant, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine , is a procedure that involves replacing damaged or diseased bone marrow (the soft tissue inside some bones in the chest and pelvis that gives rise to various blood cells) with healthy stem cells from a donor or your own.

This procedure is used to treat certain types of cancer (such as leukemia, lymphoma, myelodysplasia, or multiple myeloma) and diseases that affect bone marrow cell production (such as aplastic anemia, congenital neutropenia, severe immune system diseases, sickle cell anemia, or thalassemia).

Essentially, it involves 'draining' or removing all of the recipient's bone marrow , including both cancer and healthy cells, and then grafting healthy stem cells that regenerate new bone marrow tissue in its place.

How is it done?

To achieve this, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both are administered. This is done in two ways: with myeloablative treatment (high doses of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both) or with lower doses, called a mini-transplant.

Afterwards, the transplant can be of four different types :

Bone marrow transplants carry several significant risks . Initially, you may experience symptoms such as chest pain, low blood pressure, fever, chills, flushing, headache, hives, nausea, pain, difficulty breathing, or a strange taste in your mouth.

In more severe cases, serious complications may include anemia, bleeding in the lungs, intestines, brain, and other parts of the body, cataracts, clotting in the small veins of the liver, damage to the kidneys, liver, lungs, and heart, delayed growth (in children), early menopause, graft failure (meaning the donor cells don’t take root and start making new ones), graft-versus-host disease (where the donor cells attack your own body), infections, swelling and pain in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach, stomach pain and problems such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

What is the prognosis?

In any case, the prognosis after transplantation depends on the type of transplant, the compatibility between the donor and recipient cells, the original disease, the age and health of the recipient, the type and dose of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and other types of complications.

Ultimately, a bone marrow transplant can completely cure the disease , allowing the patient to return to their normal life, but complications can also be fatal.

References

MedlinePlus. Bone marrow transplant. Accessed online at https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/003009.htm on June 12, 2022.

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