Armenian Bone Marrow Donation Screening to Be Held in DC

By Lawrence V. Najarian, M.D., AAHPO President

WASHINGTON—On Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, Armenian Americans in the Washington, D.C. area and those attending the AYF Olympics will have the opportunity to help Armenians in need by participating in a painless cheek swab screening.

Volunteer healthcare professionals will be on hand at the AYF Olympics to perform the simple screening test, which will generate data for the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR).

The screening event is being co-sponsored by ABMDR, Armenian American Health Professionals Organization (AAHPO) of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and the Armenian American Health Association (AAHA) of Greater Washington, D.C.

The ABMDR data is used to match Armenians in need of a genetic match for a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. About 200 Armenians are known to be in need of a match that could save their lives.

At this year’s event, the sponsors are featuring the case of Cici, who is a cousin of celebrity Kourtney Kardashian. After 17 years battling cancer, Cici’s body is no longer responding to chemotherapy and she is in need of a stem cell bone marrow transplant. In the past, AAHPO has publicized the cases of Debbi Margosian Chapman, Irene Katrandjian and young Charlotte Conybear.

Cici (left) with her cousin, Kourtney Kardashian

Armenian DNA is distinct, and this becomes an issue when a genetic match is needed. Armenian patients will find their best chance for a match in the Armenian community. Health professionals are striving to motivate Armenians to participate in simple screening tests that will place their genetic data in a registry of possible donors.

Every year, thousands of patients are diagnosed with leukemia and other life-threatening blood diseases. On any given day, more than 6,000 patients worldwide are searching for a donor. Many people erroneously believe that a genetic match usually comes from a family member.

“Only 25 percent of patients afflicted with leukemia or other life-threatening blood disorders find donors within their families. The other 75 percent of patients’ lives depend on finding a perfectly matched unrelated donor, usually from their own ethnic community,” noted Frieda Jordan, M.D., who heads the Armenian Bone Marrow Donation Registry.

Another stumbling block is that many Armenians don’t know that the screening test is a painless cheek swab. When a genetic match is identified, it is easy to become a donor. Recent advances in transplantation technology use peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection, a safe and non-invasive way of collecting life-saving stem cells from donors.

PBSC collection is similar to giving blood; a donor’s stem cells are removed and the blood is returned to the donor. Within a couple of weeks, donor stem cells are replenished. There is no surgery, no anesthesia, and no cost to the donor. Those with questions are invited to call the AAHPO hotline at 201-546-6166.

“The Armenian American Health Association of Greater Washington, D.C. is very excited to collaborate with AAHPO and ABMDR. By working together, we will raise regional awareness of this pressing medical need,” noted Grigor Khachikian, M.D., AAHA’s president.

All Armenians ages 18-50 and in good health are urged to be screened and have their data entered in the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (www.abmdr.am).

Note: On Aug. 17, AAHPO shared a TV interview with Oncologist-Hematologist Terenig Terjanian, M.D., about Bone Marrow Transplants, which was aired in the New York area by Voice of Armenians TV. You may watch the program online at http://www.aahpo.org/tv/video-06-29-2010.html.