World Blood Cancer Day is marked today. The celebration of this day was instituted in 2014 because, in 1991, Methchild Ehringer could not find a match by a German non-profit organisation DKMS founded by Methchilds family. She died because she was unable to find a match. The aim was and still remains to find a potential donor for every person needy of a bone marrow/stem cell transplant.

Today, there are 10 million potential donors registered when compared to the initial 3,000. Some might remember me as the person who needs Daratumumab included in the government formulary for free medicinals. I am interested in other matters too!

World Blood Cancer Day! This day highlights a more personal issue that concerns the realisation that I do not stand alone in my blood cancer journey. An issue that cuts across the three most common blood cancers: leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Of these three, the lymphomas and the myelomas are the more common. For many people, such as myself, the diagnosis of a blood cancer is a shock. Like water, blood is meant to sustain a person.

Blood cancers bring along with them a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. For some blood cancers, such as multiple myeloma, a cure does not exist. To suddenly acknowledge that what is being generated in your bone marrow and what is circulating around your body and through your own blood is threatening you and your body, is psychologically invasive in a way like no other. I felt robbed. Robbed by my own body, my own immune system and, perhaps, by my own past lifestyle choices.

Stem cell transplantation offers hope of increased longevity, when appropriate, to a good proportion of blood cancer patients. A successful stem cell transplant means time out of hospital, visiting usually only every few months for monitoring. There are two types of stem cell transplantation: autologous and allogenic.

Autologous transplantation is when a person donates to oneself. As was the case with myself and my two attempts for autologous transplantation.

For many people, such as myself, the diagnosis of a blood cancer is a shock

Allogenic requires matching a donor to a patient. This is only suitable in specific cases. The government of Malta does pay for such transplantation. Charities such as Puttinu are incredibly supportive in supporting those undergoing stem cell transplantation by providing accommodation. On World Blood Cancer Day 2021, my wish is that the Maltese public understand what I consider to be three critical issues.

First, for many, stem cell/bone marrow transplants and, increasingly, cellular innovative therapies, potentially require a donor. Second, for a portion of those requiring such intervention/therapy they cannot donate to themselves and/or find a donor from their family. Third, millions of people are required to donate their stem cells.

As of today, I am under the impression that Malta and its generally very good healthcare system does not yet, have a register for stem cell donation. I hope I am wrong. Should I be right, I urge the powers that be to strongly consider this as part of their long-term strategic vision. What I do know, however, is that Malta has the local expertise and the equipment to collect stem cell transplants.

Perhaps because it is a small-island state, Malta does not have the facility for storage. The healthcare system is probably likely, especially at this point in time, not to possess as much capacity to assure consistent and sustained storage of stem cells according to European and international gold-standard criterion. This is likely to be primarily due to space issues given that the local expertise is available and excellent.

In more recent times especially, monoclonal agents, such as Daratumumab, are increasingly offered as more frontline treatment to those with an early diagnosis of multiple myeloma, at least in other EU countries and to those able to afford payment.

Chimeric Antigen therapy (CAR-T cell), which forms part of cellular therapeutic options, is also in the pipeline.

Monoclonal therapy and CAR-T cell are consequently likely to decrease the need for stem cell transplants. This is positive but, if anything, highlights even more the need for a stem cell database, register and repository. Newer therapies generally tend to be increasingly stem cell therapy dependent in some form or other.

What I would like the reader to appreciate is that I am not a medical professional. I have been at times accused of being a dreamer but life has taught me two things.

To turn lemons into lemonade and to give without the expectation of taking or receiving.

Today, I would like to go a bit beyond my myeloma, so to speak. I want to celebrate, as a blood cancer survivor, what works for me. I urge all of you to read about blood cancers and try to empathise with all blood cancer survivors.

Above all, let us not forget their carers: spouses, children, friends, doctors, nurses and everybody else whom I have inadvertently omitted.

I, for one, would not be here, especially, without the excellent care and patience of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, etc. alongside the emotional care, motivation and interest offered by my sons, friends, work colleagues and those generally understanding and supportive of my condition, and, yes, my Lara still needs Dara quest! Thank you.

Lara Saids dream is to set up a non-profit organisation to advocate especially for the rights of patients with myeloma, leukaemia and lymphoma for Malta and Gozo. She is here appealing to survivors, their relatives and/or carers to help her set up a patient group.

Lara Said, Multiple myeloma survivor, member, Myeloma Patients Europe

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Living with blood cancer - Lara Said - Times of Malta