Focus Taiwan
Date: 10/07/2020
By: Flor Wang and Chang Hsiung-fung

Taipei, Oct. 7 (CNA) National Taiwan University (NTU) Cancer Center said Wednesday that it recently carried out a successful bone marrow transplant on a leukemia patient from Hong Kong, despite the tight border restrictions and prevention measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 70-year-old patient identified only as Eric, was diagnosed with leukemia last December in Hong Kong and told that he needed a bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant, to save his life, the Cancer Center said.

As that procedure is not available in Hong Kong for people over the age of 60, Eric's doctor suggested that he try Taiwan, the center said.

With the help of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center in Taiwan, Eric was able to make the trip and was admitted to NTU Cancer Center, where he had a hematopoistic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) in August, using the bone marrow of an anonymous donor, according to the center.    [FUILL  STORY]