The first patient is 17-month-old Ho T.P.A. from A Luoi. Diagnosed with beta-thalassemia at four months of age, the child required monthly blood transfusions. HLA testing revealed a perfect 12/12 match with her 7-year-old brother. The hospital's leadership team held a multidisciplinary consultation and devised a plan for a stem cell transplant. During the procedure, she experienced only minor complications, such as febrile neutropenia and hypertension. Four weeks post-transplant, her blood cell counts recovered, and she is currently in excellent health. This marks the youngest case of a thalassemia transplant performed in Vietnam.
The second patient is 3-year-old Tran V.T. from Hue, who was diagnosed with relapsed mediastinal germ cell tumor. He underwent an allogeneic stem cell transplant—the hospital's first such procedure for a relapsed germ cell tumor. Following the transplant, his blood cell counts recovered rapidly, and he is currently in good health.
The third patient is Nguyen T.N.K., a 39-month-old from Quang Tri and the 55th patient treated for high-risk neuroblastoma at the hospital. He responded well to chemotherapy—with the tumor shrinking—and subsequently underwent a transplant. Following the transplant, he continued with surgery and radiation therapy.
The fourth patient is Nguyen D.A. from Phu Tho (Hanoi), the 56th patient treated for high-risk neuroblastoma. He also suffered from high-risk neuroblastoma; he responded well to chemotherapy and underwent a bone marrow transplant.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a curative treatment for children with transfusion-dependent thalassemia and a life-prolonging measure for those with solid tumors, such as high-risk neuroblastoma or relapsed germ cell tumors. Regarding thalassemia—a common hereditary blood disorder—approximately 2,000 to 2,500 children in Vietnam are diagnosed with the severe form each year. These pediatric patients require lifelong treatment involving blood transfusions and iron chelation, which can lead to complications affecting the heart, liver, kidneys, endocrine system, and bones, as well as impairing physical and mental development. Their lives become tethered to the hospital, placing a burden on both their families and society. Access to bone marrow transplantation offers the chance to lead a normal life and become free from the need for blood transfusions.
As a special-class hospital under the Ministry of Health, Hue Central Hospital has long played a pioneering role in advanced medical techniques, particularly in organ and stem cell transplantation. Since 2019, the hospital has implemented pediatric stem cell transplantation, initially treating solid tumors—such as high-risk neuroblastoma, metastatic retinoblastoma, and relapsed lymphoma—before expanding to allogeneic stem cell transplantation for thalassemia. In September 2024, the hospital officially launched a stem cell transplantation program for thalassemia. It is the first facility in the Central and Central Highlands regions, and the second nationwide, to perform this advanced procedure. To date, the hospital has conducted 78 pediatric stem cell transplants, including 17 allogeneic transplants for children with thalassemia over a 19-month period—the highest number achieved nationwide within that timeframe. Each successful transplant represents not only a medical triumph but also a beacon of hope for the families involved.
To meet the rising demand for bone marrow transplants, the hospital has expanded its transplant facilities, enabling the simultaneous treatment of four pediatric patients. Hue Central Hospital is striving to perform transplants for as many affected children as possible, with the hope of offering them a brighter future. Over the next two months, the hospital will also carry out haploidentical (half-matched) transplants for Thalassemia patients who lack a fully HLA-compatible match among their siblings or parents.
