A Jehovah’s Witness with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Successfully Treated with an Epigenetic Drug, Azacitidine: A Clue for Development of Anti-AML Therapy Requiring Minimum Blood Transfusions

Therapy for acute leukemia in Jehovah’s Witnesses patients is very challenging because of their refusal to accept blood transfusions, a fundamental supportive therapy for this disease. These patients are often denied treatment for fear of treatment-related death. We present the first Jehovah’s Witne...

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Main Authors: Yumi Yamamoto, Akihito Kawashima, Eri Kashiwagi, Kiyoyuki Ogata
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Hematology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/141260
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author Yumi Yamamoto
Akihito Kawashima
Eri Kashiwagi
Kiyoyuki Ogata
author_facet Yumi Yamamoto
Akihito Kawashima
Eri Kashiwagi
Kiyoyuki Ogata
author_sort Yumi Yamamoto
collection DOAJ
description Therapy for acute leukemia in Jehovah’s Witnesses patients is very challenging because of their refusal to accept blood transfusions, a fundamental supportive therapy for this disease. These patients are often denied treatment for fear of treatment-related death. We present the first Jehovah’s Witness patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated successfully with azacitidine. After achieving complete remission (CR) with one course of azacitidine therapy, the patient received conventional postremission chemotherapy and remained in CR. In the case of patients who accept blood transfusions, there are reports indicating the treatment of AML patients with azacitidine. In these reports, azacitidine therapy was less toxic, including hematoxicity, compared with conventional chemotherapy. The CR rate in azacitidine-treated patients was inadequate; however, some characteristics could be useful in predicting azacitidine responders. The present case is useful for treating Jehovah’s Witnesses patients with AML and provides a clue for anti-AML therapy requiring minimum blood transfusions.
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spelling doaj-art-2acd1c643cde4460bf644be59c3a475c2025-08-20T02:04:13ZengWileyCase Reports in Hematology2090-65602090-65792014-01-01201410.1155/2014/141260141260A Jehovah’s Witness with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Successfully Treated with an Epigenetic Drug, Azacitidine: A Clue for Development of Anti-AML Therapy Requiring Minimum Blood TransfusionsYumi Yamamoto0Akihito Kawashima1Eri Kashiwagi2Kiyoyuki Ogata3Metropolitan Research Center for Blood Disorders (MRC Japan), 1-45-46 Midorigaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-0001, JapanDepartment of General Medicine, Shin-Yurigaoka General Hospital, Furusawa Tsuko 255, Asaoku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 215-0026, JapanMetropolitan Research Center for Blood Disorders (MRC Japan), 1-45-46 Midorigaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-0001, JapanMetropolitan Research Center for Blood Disorders (MRC Japan), 1-45-46 Midorigaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-0001, JapanTherapy for acute leukemia in Jehovah’s Witnesses patients is very challenging because of their refusal to accept blood transfusions, a fundamental supportive therapy for this disease. These patients are often denied treatment for fear of treatment-related death. We present the first Jehovah’s Witness patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated successfully with azacitidine. After achieving complete remission (CR) with one course of azacitidine therapy, the patient received conventional postremission chemotherapy and remained in CR. In the case of patients who accept blood transfusions, there are reports indicating the treatment of AML patients with azacitidine. In these reports, azacitidine therapy was less toxic, including hematoxicity, compared with conventional chemotherapy. The CR rate in azacitidine-treated patients was inadequate; however, some characteristics could be useful in predicting azacitidine responders. The present case is useful for treating Jehovah’s Witnesses patients with AML and provides a clue for anti-AML therapy requiring minimum blood transfusions.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/141260
spellingShingle Yumi Yamamoto
Akihito Kawashima
Eri Kashiwagi
Kiyoyuki Ogata
A Jehovah’s Witness with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Successfully Treated with an Epigenetic Drug, Azacitidine: A Clue for Development of Anti-AML Therapy Requiring Minimum Blood Transfusions
Case Reports in Hematology
title A Jehovah’s Witness with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Successfully Treated with an Epigenetic Drug, Azacitidine: A Clue for Development of Anti-AML Therapy Requiring Minimum Blood Transfusions
title_full A Jehovah’s Witness with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Successfully Treated with an Epigenetic Drug, Azacitidine: A Clue for Development of Anti-AML Therapy Requiring Minimum Blood Transfusions
title_fullStr A Jehovah’s Witness with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Successfully Treated with an Epigenetic Drug, Azacitidine: A Clue for Development of Anti-AML Therapy Requiring Minimum Blood Transfusions
title_full_unstemmed A Jehovah’s Witness with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Successfully Treated with an Epigenetic Drug, Azacitidine: A Clue for Development of Anti-AML Therapy Requiring Minimum Blood Transfusions
title_short A Jehovah’s Witness with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Successfully Treated with an Epigenetic Drug, Azacitidine: A Clue for Development of Anti-AML Therapy Requiring Minimum Blood Transfusions
title_sort jehovah s witness with acute myeloid leukemia successfully treated with an epigenetic drug azacitidine a clue for development of anti aml therapy requiring minimum blood transfusions
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/141260
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