Nguyen Ba Thanh suffers myelodysplastic syndrome, was not poisoned: official

The confirmation was released by Dr. Tran Huy Dung, deputy head of the Central Commission of Health Care for Senior Officials, at a press conference held in Hanoi on Wednesday to provide official information about Thanh’s health condition.

Myelodysplastic syndrome is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells and there are abnormal (blast) cells in the blood and/or bone marrow.

After returning to Vietnam, Thanh, 62, will be further treated in Vietnam while waiting for a bone marrow transplant to treat the myelodysplastic syndrome, which was diagnosed in May 2014, the board said.

The board also reiterated its rejection of the Internet-spread rumor that the illness of Thanh, who is also a member of the Party Central Committee and deputy head of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption led by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, has been caused by poisoning.

Professor Pham Gia Khai, chairman of the medical council of the board, had earlier strongly rejected the rumor. “First of all I can say thatthe rumor is a lie,” Prof. Khai said.

Thanh has been scheduled to fly back to Vietnam for the past several days, but his flight has been delayed by bad weather conditions, the board said.

Thanh’s family wants him to be treated in his native city of Da Nang, in central Vietnam, said Dr. Nguyen Quoc Trieu, head of the board.

When his condition was detected in May 2014, Thanh was first treated at Hanoi’s Central Military Hospital 108. He was later sent to Singapore for treatment during June and July before being transferred to a private hospital in the U.S. in mid-August, Dr. Dung said.

During his stay in the U.S., Thanh underwent three rounds of chemotherapy and is now in the recovery period before possibly receiving a bone marrow transplant, the doctor said.

Depending on the patient, myelodysplastic syndrome can progress either rapidly, within several months, or slowly, over as long as ten years, the board said, adding that Thanh, unluckily falls into the first category – rapid progression - said Bach Quoc Khanh, vice rector of the Central Institute of Blood Transfusion and Hematology.

However, Dr. Trieu affirmed that Thanh’s condition is still strong enough for him to take a long flight from the U.S. to Vietnam.

Chemotherapy is the step in preparation for a bone marrow transplant and chemo’s side effects are intense, so only people in good overall condition can survive three rounds of chemo like Thanh, Trieu explained, adding that most patients are given two rounds.

Regarding the possibility of Thanh’s recovery from his illness, the board’s medical council said this will be known only after the board opens a consultation session on his condition when he returns to Vietnam.

Dr Khanh said the causes of myelodysplastic syndrome are not known. He added that many other people in Vietnam have suffered the same disease as Thanh.

Two members of Thanh’s family are ready to offer their bone marrow for transplant, subject to doctors’ decision.

Thanh’s condition may improve if he receives a transplant, Dr. Khanh said.

After returning to Vietnam, Thanh will face a recovery period under a treatment schedule set by American and Vietnamese doctors.

If Thanh’s health condition improves after the recovery period, he can be sent to the U.S. for a bone marrow transplant, Dr. Khanh said.

A source has said that Thanh will be accompanied by his relatives and three American doctors on a flight to Vietnam in the coming days.

Thanh, who was born in Da Nang’s Hoa Vang District, is also the former Chairman of the Da Nang Municipal People’s Committee. He is credited with transforming Da Nang from a poor area into the most beautiful city in Vietnam.