Aplastic anemia is bone marrow failure. The disorder occurs when, for some reason, the bone marrow--the spongy interior of the bones--stops producing red and white blood cells and platelets. Aplastic anemia is not a cancer, but because the disorder is treated like many hematologic cancers (cancers of the blood) most patients are seen at a cancer center. Aplastic anemia (aplastic anemia)can be caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, certain viruses (for instance some kinds of hepatitis), in which case it is considered secondary, or it may arise on its own with no known cause, in which case it is considered primary.
Other bone marrow states include myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a related disease that is actually a cancer of the blood cells. Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) is another disorder that leads to bone marrow failure. It has many features similar to aplastic anemia and MDS. Patients with this disease have anemia from having fragile red cells, and may develop red urine from the breakdown of blood cells. Many patients also develop blood clots, and this disease, like MDS, can progress into acute leukemia. We treat PNH similarly to aplastic anemia.