Chemotherapy
Transplantations
Informed Consents
Disease Types
Anemia
Red blood cells carry haemoglobin, an iron-rich protein that attaches to oxygen in the lungs and carries it to tissues throughout the body. Anemia occurs when you do not have enough red blood cells or when your red blood cells do not function properly. It is diagnosed when a blood test shows a haemoglobin value of less than 13.5 gm/dl in a man or less than 12.0 gm/dl in a woman. Normal values for children vary with age.
When you have anemia, your body lacks oxygen, so you may experience one or more of the following symptoms
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Pounding or “whooshing” in your ears
- Headache
- Cold hands or feet
- Pale or yellow skin
- Chest pain
Acute Luekemia
Acute leukaemia’s occur when abnormal white blood cells multiply rapidly and spill into the blood stream. Left untreated, these leukaemia cells crowd out the healthy cells, leaving the body starved of oxygen, with little immunity to fight disease or infection and unable to “plug” wounds in the skin and blood vessels. Acute leukaemia’s develop quickly and need to be treated urgently. Chronic leukaemia’s develop more slowly and may not need to be treated for some time after they are diagnosed. Chronic Leukaemia’s occur when abnormal white blood cells fail to die and accumulate in the blood stream, bone marrow and related organs. Myeloid leukaemia’s arise from myeloid stem cells and are characterised by the accumulation of cancerous myeloid cells. Lymphoid leukaemia’s arise from lymphoid stem cells and are characterised by the accumulation of cancerous lymphoid cells such as B-cells and T-cells.
Hodgkins Lymphoma
Hodgkin Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. The Lymphatic system contains specialised white blood cells called Lymphocytes that help protect the body from infection and disease. Hodgkin Lymphoma arises when developing lymphocytes undergo a malignant change and multiply in an uncontrolled way, these collection of cancer cells are called tumours in lymph nodes and other parts of the body. The most common symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma is a firm, usually painless swelling of a lymph node (swollen glands), usually in the neck, under the arms or in the groin. Treatment depends mainly on the stage, or extent of disease in your body. These days most people with Hodgkin Lymphoma can be cured. Early-stage Hodgkin Lymphoma, which is limited to one or two areas in the body is often treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. If it is more widespread in the body (advanced stage) it is usually treated with chemotherapy.
Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
B and T-cell lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system. Lymphomas arise when developing B and T-lymphocytes undergo a malignant change and multiply in an uncontrolled way. Most lymphomas (around 80%) arise in developing B-lymphocytes (B-cell lymphomas). The remainder arise in developing T-lymphocytes (T-cell lymphomas). The exact cause of lymphomas remains unknown, but they are thought to result from damage to one or more of the genes that normally control the development of blood cells. B and T-cell Lymphomas are diagnosed by examining cells from an affected lymph node.
Acute Luekemia
Myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells. Plasma cells are mature lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, that help fight infection by producing special proteins called antibodies. Myeloma cells multiply abnormally, forming collections known as tumours which accumulate in different bones in the body, especially in the bone marrow. Over time people with myeloma can become anaemic, more susceptible to infections and to bleeding and bruising more easily. The most common symptom of myeloma is bone pain. Other symptoms are caused by a lack of normal blood cells and include; anaemia, frequent or repeated infections and slow healing, due to lack of normal white blood cells.Although there is currently no cure for myeloma, treatment can be successful in controlling the disease, sometimes for several years. Chemotherapy, usually in combination with cortico-steroids, may be given to control the growth of myeloma.
Bonemarrow Failure
One’s bone marrow is the soft tissue inside the bones that makes blood-forming cells known as blood stem cells. When a disease such as cancer affects the bone marrow, the bone marrow may not function, requiring a marrow or cord blood transplant in some patients. Thousands of people with blood cancers and diseases – such as leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell anemia – depend on a bone marrow or cord blood transplant for treatment.
Sometimes the bone-marrow stops working due to immune system problems. This is called Aplastic Anaemia and may require an urgent bone-marrow transplant.
Welcome To Dr Jackie Thomson Inc
Expert Clinical Heamatologist
She is an expert in bone-marrow transplantation and stem cell transplantation. She is the first Transplant Program Director
to be recognized by the European Bone Marrow Transplant Society by obtaining JACIE accreditation.
She is passionate about improving patient outcome and does so by following best practise and implementing quality systems of International standard.
Her patients come first and she believes in a patient doctor partnership which leads to individualised care.