First autologous stem cell transplant successfully performed on 32-month-old child

Dr Trinh Huu Tung (standing), Director of the Children’s Hospital 2 (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) - The Children’sHospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City has successfully performed an autologous stemcell transplant on the smallest patient so far - a 32-month-old girl sufferingfrom severe neuroblastoma (NB).

According to Dr Trinh Huu Tung, Director of thehospital, the patient, from the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, washospitalised last June with severe abdominalpain and malnutrition. Without a hematopoietic stem-cell transplant, thesurvival rate was only 12 percent.

The patient received an autologous stem cell transplanton December 20. Sixteen days after the surgery, she was discharged from thehospital in good health. At her first post-surgery examination, she showed goodsigns of recovery.

The 32-month-old girl at her first post-surgery examination (Photo: VNA)

This is the first time the hospital has performed sucha surgery on a small child with serious health conditions, Tung said, addingthat each year the hospital treats about 40 children suffering from NB.

The hospital has built a stem cell transplant centre whichbecame operational last December, he said./.

VNA