2005 Volume 19 Issue 4 Pages 247-249
Because of improvements in the treatment of aplastic anemia (AA), such as allogenic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and immunosuppressive therapy (IST) in the past several decades, the survival rate of patients is between 80 and 90%. The number of long-term survivors after treatment of AA has been increasing, and quality of life (QOL) has become an important end-point. A retrospective comparative study under The Japanese Society of Pediatric Hematology Aplastic Anemia Committee was designed to assess the QOL in the group of children with acquired AA treated with BMT or IST. Children with AA undergoing an IST or an allogenic BMT from 1992 to 1997 were eligible for this study. The IST group were treated by the protocol of the Japan Childhood Aplastic Anemia Study Group. Questionnaires for QOL assessment have been completed by their parents. Comparative QOL studies are now under review to obtain data for use in medical decision making.
