Can stem cell transplant cure amyloidosis?

Stem cell transplantation has been the standard for treating MM for more than 25 years and has been used as a treatment modality in AL amyloidosis for more than two decades. The rationale for using ASCT to treat amyloidosis is far better than that for myeloma.

What is the survival rate of AL amyloidosis?

Five percent of patients with AL amyloidosis survived for 10 years or more. THE MEDIAN SURVIVAL in 474 patients with primary systemic (AL) amyloidosis was 13 months. 1 Despite the use of melphalan and prednisone, the median survival is still only 17 to 18 months.

Can AL amyloidosis be cured?

There is no cure for patients with AL amyloidosis but more frequently patients can go into remission with drug therapy.

What is the survival rate of a stem cell transplant?

The predicted rate of survival was 62 percent. In allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, a person’s blood-forming stem cells are eliminated and then replaced with new, healthy ones obtained from a donor or from donated umbilical cord blood.

Why is there no cure for amyloidosis?

There’s no cure for amyloidosis. But treatment can help manage signs and symptoms and limit further production of amyloid protein. If the amyloidosis has been triggered by another condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or tuberculosis, treating the underlying condition can be helpful.

Is AL amyloidosis always fatal?

Amyloidosis can affect the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system, stomach or intestines. The condition is rare (affecting fewer than 4,000 people in the United States each year), but it can be fatal.

How do you reverse amyloidosis?

There is no cure for amyloidosis. Your doctor will prescribe treatments to slow the development of the amyloid protein and manage your symptoms. If amyloidosis is related to another condition, then treatment will include targeting that underlying condition.

What is the life expectancy after stem cell transplant?

Life expectancy in patients surviving more than 5 years after hematopoietic cell transplantation. CONCLUSION Patients who have survived for at least 5 years after hematopoietic cell transplantation without recurrence of the original disease have a high probability of surviving for an additional 15 years, but life expectancy is not fully restored.

How do you treat amyloidosis?

Specific treatment depends on what type of amyloidosis you have and how many organs are affected. High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant can help remove the substance that leads to amyloid formation in people with primary AL amyloidosis who have no more than two major organs damaged.

What is the prognosis after stem cell transplant?

The NMDP predicted that 62 percent of our patients would survive the first year after a transplant. In our actual results, 75 percent of patients — that’s three out of every four — survived that critical period, and now they’re working toward recovery and becoming long-term transplant survivors.