From BMT Newsletter March 1995 Issue # 28 - BMTs for Chronic Myelogeneous Leukemia Reprinted by NYSERNet with Permission from BMT Newsletter
Produced by BMT survivor Otteau Christiansen, "A Critical Decision" provides a clear, simple look at what's involved in a bone marrow transplant .. Viewers follow five actual leukemia patients through the entire BMT process-from bone marrow harvest, through the high-dose chemotherapy and radiation, to the day of marrow infusion, and the weeks of recovery that follow.
The five patients-three adults, one teen, and one child-explain in their own words how they feel at each step along the way. Physicians explain the rationale for each procedure, outline the potential risks and describe what will be done to minimize complications.
In addition, the video provides a good explanation of what bone marrow is, what blood cells do, and a description of the different types of leukemia. The video ends with an update on the patients approximately one year after they were filmed: two adults and one teen are doing well and getting back to a normal life; one adult, after hiking in the mountains, developed complications and died; and the child relapsed six months after transplant and is continuing with treatment.
There are some points the video does not cover: there's no picture or patient description of graft-versus-host-disease, none of the patients used marrow from a mis-matched or unrelated donor, and the physical and emotional complications that can develop after discharge from the hospital are not discussed. There is also no discussion of peripheral stem cell harvests.
Some viewers may find the segment on radiation treatment a bit frightening. Although you do not feel radiation while it is being administered, one patient describes his radiation treatments as being "zapped," which could mislead some viewers into thinking they will feel like they've been hit with a jolt of electricity or experience some other unpleasant sensation.
Overall, the video provides a good general picture of what's involved in a BMT. Although the video features five patients with leukemia, it is a good introduction to BMT for patients with any disease.
A Critical Decision, 20 minutes, available free from local chapters of the Leukemia Society of America, or by calling the national office at 1-800-955-4572.
This video, produced by the wife of a former BMT patient, explains what patients about to undergo a BMT at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston MA can expect. Doctors, nurses and social workers discuss the various tests used to determine whether a patient is eligible for BMT, the bone marrow or peripheral stem cell harvest, how the chemotherapy and/or total body irradiation is administered, the various side effects and complications that can arise during hospitalization, and services available to help patients and their families cope with the emotional stress involved in the procedure. Throughout the video, BMT survivors who are members of a support group at Dana Farber Cancer Institute reflect on their transplant experience and explain how they coped.
Information in "One Step At A Time" is conveyed primarily by interviews with medical personnel. Persons completely unfamiliar with BMT may initially find some of these presentations overwhelming or confusing. However, the basics of what's involved in a BMT are clear, and viewers will appreciate the insights shared by survivors.
Missing from "One Step At A Time" is a discussion of graft-versus-host disease, mis-matched and unrelated BMTs, and long-term problems faced by survivors. All of the survivors who appear in the video are adults: there is no mention of issues specific to pediatric BMT patients.
"One Step At A Time" was produced with support from Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and throughout the video the narrator and patients stress the excellence of care at DFCI. Viewers should understand that excellent care is also available at other cancer centers, and should not be alarmed if procedures and services offered at their BMT center differ from those described at Dana Farber.
Overall, "One Step At A Time" provides a good summary of what's involved in a BMT from both the medical and patient perspective. One Step At A Time, 25 minutes, available from SVP Communications, 36 W. Putnam Ave., Greenwich CT 06830, 203-622-4858. Charge: $29.95
The electronic version of this document was created by NYSERNet, Inc. as part of the Breast Cancer Information Clearinghouse.