Treating Sickle Cell Disease

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• published: 12 Sep 2016
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It’s a genetic condition that can’t be cured. Each year nearly 200,000 people are born with sickle cell disease. Health experts say there are ways to find out if you are at risk for having a child with the disease. Dr. Craig MacArthur, a pediatric oncologist with Golisano Children’s Hospital, says sickle cell disease can cause children and adults chronic pain, respiratory failure, even stroke. “Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that a patient is born with. It is a change in amino acid in our beta globin gene that results in abnormal hemoglobin that causes sickling of cells and destruction of cells.” Sickle cell disease is more common in African Americans, but all babies are screened for the disease at birth. “The reason that we screen for sickle cell disease is that we have an intervention that actually saves lives, that’s cheap and effective. It’s called penicillin,” said Dr. MacArthur. Penicillin is used until the child is five years old. After age five studies show it no longer benefits the child’s symptoms. Doctors say at any age patients can start taking another medication called hydroxyurea to help with severe symptoms. But the most effective treatment and possible cure for sickle cell disease is a stem cell transplant. The procedure is typically done with a sibling donor who does not have sickle cell disease and who has the same parents as the patient. “Technology for stem cell transplant is rapidly changing and they’re getting away with less intense regiments to eliminate the old bone marrow and make room for the new,” said Dr. MacArthur. Doctors say there are ways to test future parents to find out if they carry the traits for the disease. “The genetics are the two trait patients, the two parents that each has a trait. They have a one in four chance of having a child that has sickle cell disease,” said Dr. MacArthur. Patients with the trait typically show no symptoms, but the trait will show up in a blood test. View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/ Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Visit leememorial.org

Treating Sickle Cell Disease

• Report rights infringement
• published: 12 Sep 2016
• views: 498

It’s a genetic condition that can’t be cured. Each year nearly 200,000 people are born with sickle cell disease. Health experts say there are ways to find out if you are at risk for having a child with the disease. Dr. Craig MacArthur, a pediatric oncologist with Golisano Children’s Hospital, says sickle cell disease can cause children and adults chronic pain, respiratory failure, even stroke. “Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that a patient is born with. It is a change in amino acid in our beta globin gene that results in abnormal hemoglobin that causes sickling of cells and destruction of cells.” Sickle cell disease is more common in African Americans, but all babies are screened for the disease at birth. “The reason that we screen for sickle cell disease is that we have an intervention that actually saves lives, that’s cheap and effective. It’s called penicillin,” said Dr. MacArthur. Penicillin is used until the child is five years old. After age five studies show it no longer benefits the child’s symptoms. Doctors say at any age patients can start taking another medication called hydroxyurea to help with severe symptoms. But the most effective treatment and possible cure for sickle cell disease is a stem cell transplant. The procedure is typically done with a sibling donor who does not have sickle cell disease and who has the same parents as the patient. “Technology for stem cell transplant is rapidly changing and they’re getting away with less intense regiments to eliminate the old bone marrow and make room for the new,” said Dr. MacArthur. Doctors say there are ways to test future parents to find out if they carry the traits for the disease. “The genetics are the two trait patients, the two parents that each has a trait. They have a one in four chance of having a child that has sickle cell disease,” said Dr. MacArthur. Patients with the trait typically show no symptoms, but the trait will show up in a blood test. View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/ Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Visit leememorial.org