Immediate Need for South Asian Canadians to Join OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network
(September 16, 2008 – Toronto, ON) – The Appeal for South Asian Donors (ASAD) asks South Asians and other minorities to join the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network to help ease the waitlist for stem cell and bone marrow transplants. According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, among different ethnic groups, the probability of finding a good match is 93% for North American Caucasians; African Americans and Asians have only a 50% chance. The best hope for any patient is a match from someone in his ethnic community. One such patient is Dr. Abhijit Guha, a prominent Toronto-based neurosurgeon, cancer researcher, and tireless advocate within the South Asian community, who was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in August. He is one of 20 South Asians like Haider Choudhury who cannot find a stem cell match within their own families.