Fanconi Anemia: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Fanconi pancytopenia

Fanconi Anemia is a form of genetic disorder that causes you to have bone marrow failure. The bone marrow makes certain blood cells in your body and they also help to transport oxygen to your tissues and various organs. This transportation of oxygen helps you to fight foreign antibodies and help in blood clotting as well. This form of condition leads to a lifelong full of complications and causes you to have anemia. This anemia is caused by a low RBC (red blood cell) count. This form of condition can be caused by various birth defects which lead to abnormal skeletal structures, defects in your eye and skin discoloration. The first signs of this condition begin at birth and then it does not show any signs until a later stage. Individuals who have this condition at an adult age are prone to develop oral and bone cancers. The common symptoms of this condition are anemia, this means the red blood cell count of your body are very low and this causes you to have dizziness, headaches and difficulty in keeping a suitable body temperature, mostly hypothermia. You also face birth defects such as abnormal skeletal problems, discoloration of your skin and some heart defects as well. In women the symptoms are that your periods can occur at a later stage than the normal stage, you might be prone to miscarriages and even early menopause.

The first step to begin with the treatment involves you taking various forms of tests and commonly it is seen that if the mother is diagnosed with this condition then the baby has a high chance of having it as well. Since this is a genetic disorder, various precautions should be taken before you plan to get pregnant. Early birth screening is also conducted to check the proximity of the baby of having this condition and then decide the course of treatment which is suitable for both the mother and the baby. In the course of treatment of this condition, periodic blood count checks are necessary to keep you at a therapeutic level. Other forms of treatment are bone marrow tests, application of various antibiotics for the infections that you might develop from this condition and blood transfusions to help you increase the blood cell count which you have been lacking. Androgen therapy is the common form of treatment for this condition that uses your hormones to increase the blood cell count. Sometimes it may be seen that your body might develop blood cells naturally as well. In the severe cases of this condition you might require a bone and marrow stem cell transplantation. In this process your faulty bone marrow is destroyed by using radiation or chemotherapy and then new and healthy bone marrow from a donor is injected in your body to help you develop blood cells.

If you are facing symptoms such as anemic disorders, discoloration of skin and various kidney and heart defects then you should get tested as you might be eligible for the treatment of Franconi Anemia. In women they might experience early menopause for which they need to consult with their medical expert as it might be due to this condition or some other condition.

Sometimes with heart and kidney problems when women experience frequent miscarriages and early menopause then they might have some other complications and not this condition. To be on the safe side you should get tested as you might not be eligible for the treatment of Franconi Anemia.

Common side effects of the treatment lead you to have one big complication. This condition might lead you to have oral or bone cancer as some individuals fail to recover in the early stages of this condition. In women the side effects are that they might lose their fertility and develop certain kidney and heart problems.

You should be serious about the checkups with your medical expert as you need to check your blood cell count to carry out the procedure of treatment. If you receive bone marrow transplantation then you should be prepared before the therapies that you will receive. The most important post treatment guideline is not to discontinue or alter the medications that you receive. If you face any problem then you should consult with your medical expert at all times.

This condition is not fully curable and causes you to have a low life expectancy. However with proper treatment and increase blood cell levels it might eliminate the symptoms that you face and improve the life expectancy. With proper ongoing treatment facilities you might see the improvements within one to two months, but the symptoms can be sporadic and cannot be fully cured.

The price of treatment for this condition depends on the severity of this case. If you are on medications and tests then the cost ranges from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 15,000. If you require bone marrow transplantations and other therapies then the cost ranges from Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 80,000.

The results of the treatment are permanent up to a certain level. With the increase in the blood cell count you can notice that most of the symptoms are gone but still they might come back unexpectedly. You need to carry out the treatment procedure for the rest of your life if you do not want the condition to be severe. This condition cannot be fully cured.