During the month of November, we focus on increasing awareness for the number of marrow donors and the health concerns surrounding lung cancer.
Marrow Awareness
Each year, more than 30,000 children and adults in the United States are diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases. Increasing the number of minorities on the National Marrow Donor Program’s (NMDP) international registry is essential because outside of one’s family, a patient’s most likely match is with an individual of the same race or ethnic heritage. Expanding the diversity of potential donors improves the chance a match could be provided for minority patients. Bone marrow and blood cell transplants could provide them with a cure. Approximately 70 percent of patients who are in need of a transplant do NOT have a family member who is a suitable match.
The NMDP was created in 1987 to facilitate the connection between patients, unrelated donors, and their physicians. The registry maintains the largest and most diverse database of potential marrow donors, which consists of more than five million people. This past August celebrated an important milestone for the NMDP, there have been more than 25,000 marrow and blood cell transplants for patients around the world.
As the region’s only NMDP location, The James Graham Brown Cancer Center has performed 193 transplants in the past five years. Currently there are only 17,300 active donors on the region’s registry, which includes Western Kentucky, Southern Indiana, and parts of Tennessee and Illinois. Of the four-state region’s population of 2.3 million, less than one percent is on the registry, and the minority representation is also extremely low. Increasing awareness of under-represented potential donors is essential in saving lives.
The initial commitment to join the national donor registry only requires a small sample of cheek cells from the potential donor. This procedure is done with a sterile cotton swab. An individual of any race, ethnicity, or gender between the ages of 18 to 60 and in general good health is eligible to become a volunteer donor.
The NMDP registry includes more than 6 million volunteer adult donors. Patients searching the registry also have access to an additional 4 million volunteer donors through arrangements with international cooperative registries. However, some patients are unable to find a suitable match because their tissue traits are uncommon. Tissue traits are more likely to be shared among people of a particular race or ethnic heritage. As a result, there is an urgent need for more American Indian and Alaska Native, Black and African American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and multiple-race donors.
According to the NMDP, marrow is removed with a surgical needle from the back of the pelvic bone. All donors are given either general or regional anesthesia and several tiny incisions are made in the pelvic area. The incisions are so small that stitches are not necessary and most procedures last between 30 and 45 minutes. Approximately 10% of the donor’s marrow is removed during the procedure. However, marrow is constantly regenerating itself and is replaced within several weeks. Donors can expect to feel some discomfort in their lower back for several days. Many people describe the feeling as soreness you may have after a vigorous workout.
A procedure known as peripheral (circulating) blood cell donation is another way a person can donate to a patient in need. This process requires the donor to receive one injection of Filgrastim each day for four to five days prior to donation. This drug increases the number of blood-forming cells that are released from the bone marrow into the blood stream. The blood-forming cells are collected from the blood stream thorough a process called apheresis. During this procedure, blood is removed from one arm and passed through an apheresis machine that separates the blood-forming cells out. The remaining blood, minus the blood-forming cells, is returned to the donor in the other arm. The appropriate procedure varies with the recipient’s need. Their doctor determines which one would be most beneficial. Peripheral blood cell donors may experience some bone pain, insomnia, and fatigue while receiving the injections. The most frequently reported symptoms are headaches and bone pain. These symptoms disappear as soon as the collection is complete.
Bone marrow donation is a surgical procedure and there is a minimal risk involved. Complications are rare, but may include anesthesia reactions and infection.
Unfortunately, the majority of people who join the registry never become a match for a patient in need. For that reason, it is essential to continually expand the number of potential donors from all races and ethnicities on the NMDP registry.
The James Graham Brown Cancer Center is the NMDP’s only donor and transplant center in the region. The Brown Cancer Center's Marrow Donor Program registers individuals age 18 to 60 as potential donors on the national registry. Donors must also meet other medical guidelines. Please click here for more information.
For more information on how to join the registry or would like organize a bone marrow drive, please call the Brown Cancer Center's Marrow Donor Program at (502) 852-3154 or (800) 234-2689.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. More people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. According to the American Cancer Society, there will be about 174,470 new cases of lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) in the United States this year. Approximately 162,460 people will die of this disease.
The American Lung Association of Kentucky indicates that our state leads the nation in both adult and teenage smokers. As a result, of the 3,760 people diagnosed this year, 3,500 will die from the disease.
Lung cancer is a disease that begins in the tissue of the lungs. The lungs are sponge-like organs that are part of the respiratory system. During breathing, air enters the mouth or nasal passage and travels down the trachea. The trachea splits into two sets of bronchial tubes that lead to the left and right lung. The bronchi branch off into smaller and smaller tubes that eventually end in small balloon-like sacs known as alveoli. The alveoli are where oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other substances are exchanged between the lungs and the blood stream.
The majority of lung cancer cases fall into one of two categories:
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer is the most common type of lung cancer, making up nearly 80% of all cases. This type of lung cancer grows and spreads more slowly than small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is divided into three different subcategories. Squamous cell carcinoma originates in the thin, flat cells that line the passages of the respiratory tract. Adenocarcinoma begins in the cells that form the lining of the lungs. Large cell carcinomas make up a group of cancers that look large and abnormal under a microscope.
Small Cell Lung Cancer makes up approximately 20% of all lung cancer cases. It is associated with cancer cells smaller in size than most other cancer cells. These cells may be small, but they can rapidly reproduce to form large tumors. Their size and quick rate of reproduction allows them to spread to the lymph nodes and to other organs of the body. This type of lung cancer is almost always caused by smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke.
Possible signs of lung cancer include the following:
- Chronic cough
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Sudden weight loss
- Coughing up blood
- Recurrent lung infections
- Hoarseness
- Swelling of the face and neck
The major risk factor for lung cancer is smoking. The Lung Cancer Alliance states that cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 different chemicals, many of which are proven carcinogens. Research has shown those substances damage the cells in the lungs and over time may become cancerous, nearly 85% of all lung cancers are diagnosed in people who smoke or who have smoked in the past. The likelihood that a smoker will develop lung cancer is affected by the age at which smoking began, how long the person has smoked, the number of cigarettes smoked per day and how deeply the smoker inhales. Exposure to second-hand smoke and environmental hazards such as asbestos and radon may also play a significant role.
In the event a patient is diagnosed with lung cancer, an individual’s treatment plan depends on several factors, including the location of the tumor, the stage of the cancer, and the age and general health of the patient. It is important to discuss options with your physician. For more information regarding each treatment, please visit our Lung Cancer Clinic.
The Brown Cancer Center’s Lung Cancer Clinic offers a wide range of clinical trials for lung cancer patients. For more information, please click here or contact (502) 562-4158.