China Focus: China optimistic about more marrow donors

There are two million potential donors registered with the China Marrow Donor Program (CMDP), making China fourth in potential donors after the United States, Germany and Brazil, according to CMDP vice director Gao Dongying.

"The current two million is remarkable, and the number will continue to rise," said Chen Hu, a leading doctor in the field of bone marrow transplants with more than 30 years of experience.

Young people are the main force behind the growth in potential donors, showing that they are ethical and responsible despite criticism from older generations that they lack ideals, said Chen.

Chen works in the No.307 Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Beijing and performs more than 200 transplants every year. Chen told Xinhua that China's medical technique in the marrow transplant field is now among the world's best.

The two million potential donors can meet about 60 percent of the need, and if the number grows to six million it will meet 80 percent.

By the end of 2014, China had performed transplants of hemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) -- blood cells that give rise to all other blood cells -- for 4,680 patients at home and overseas, according to the CMDP.

Established in 1992, the CMDP now has 31 provincial-level branches, 30 Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-typing laboratories, six HLA high-resolution confirmatory typing laboratories and one quality control laboratory. It also collaborates with more than 100 hospitals in China.

The CMDP has called for more support from both government and society, including talents, financing, materials and publicity.

Chen said that China has a relatively high rate of registered HSC donors who later decide not to go through with the donation process.

"We do not blame them at all. After all, it is a big move for people to do deeds for no reward," said Chen.

Chen suggested that people think twice before they register their blood samples. Careful consideration will save uncommitted donors on physical examination fees while also sparing patients the false hope of a potential match.

Xu Liang, born in 1981, registered a blood sample with the CMDP in 2004 after he met a mainland leukemia patient who, after failing to find a mainland donor, was finally matched with HSCs donated from Taiwan.

In 2006, Xu received a notice from the Beijing branch of the CMDP that his HSCs matched a patient's needs. Three months later, he donated his cells. The donation process involved lying still for three to four hours while a machine separated the HSCs from his blood.

"I did not feel much pain during the donation procedure. I went back to work after about a week's rest, and my body fully recovered in a month," said Xu.

Xu told Xinhua that he later joined the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donation Volunteers Association of Beijing to help society better understand marrow donation. He said his parents didn't understand his choice to donate at first and worried the process was unsafe.

According to Chen, the success rate of transplants is 95 percent and the full recovery rate following transplants is about 65 to 75 percent.

Since medicine is usually imported and not covered by medical insurance and treatment takes a long time, diseases like leukemia are always a heavy burden for patients' families, especially in rural areas.

"Our office provides free consulting services and tries its best to find matched HSCs. We are also trying to generate more efforts by the government to help those in need," said Chen. Endi