Blood cancer is no longer dangerous, oncologist said – success rate of blood stem cell transplant up to 90%

A blood cell transplant is a method where doctors take out the bone marrow and replace it with therapy marrow from a donor. This type of procedure proves to be very effective in cases where the patient has leukemia i.e., blood cancer such as lymphoma or myeloma (cancer that forms in white blood cells called plasma cells). In such a case, the disease occurs in the bone marrow. Dr. Shantanu Sen, Consultant of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai shared information about this.

Dr. Shantanu said, “We give major doses of chemotherapy, take out the defected marrow and replace it with the therapy marrow received from the donor. This procedure is also beneficial for the patient of sickle cell disease or thalassemia. In such cases, the bone marrow is unable to make blood due to the lack of cells. Then we remove the defective marrow through chemotherapy and replace it with a therapy marrow from a healthy donor with a matching one.”

He said that earlier if a person had blood cancer, it meant death. Dr Sen said, “There was no cure till this procedure was introduced. But even today in cases of thalassemia if we cannot transplant then the patient will have to continue to undergo blood transfusion.”

90% success rate of Bone Marrow Transplant

According to Dr., the success rate of this procedure is encouraging. If the donor marrow is of perfectly matched siblings – the transplant success rate is 90 percent. Dr Sen said, “If the match is not a member of the donor family – a voluntary donor then the success rate is around 85 percent. The success rate of a transplant depends on how fast the cells attach. Usually it takes 14-21 days. If we can do a transplant in a patient of Thalassemia, then it may take a year for the patient to live a normal life again, after which he is cured for life.”

Difference between kidney and blood cell transplant

There is a big difference when it comes to the procedure for kidney and blood cell transplant. Dr Sen said, “Kidney transplant patients have to depend on medicine for the rest of their lives. But in bone marrow transplant patients can stop the medicines within a year and can lead a normal life again. They usually don’t come back to us. But even if the success rate in blood cancer is high, there are some cases where the patient can get it again. This happens within three to four years after the transplant. If the patient is fine then there is no other concern.”

However, patients are advised to have regular check-ups for two years. After that the patient is usually asked to visit his physician once a year for the next two-three years. After that the patient does not need to see the doctor.

age is no barrier

Age is not a barrier in bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplant is also done for a four month old baby. Dr Sen said, “Age is not a barrier in this procedure. Earlier, we used to transplant patients who were not more than 60 years old. But today technology has made it possible for us to transplant patients in the age group of 70-80 years, provided they are healthy. Of course there is risk involved in this as well. The patient may develop a serious infection during the transplant procedure. So the trans plant is done in a very clean environment.”

Patrick Paul, CEO, DKMS BMST Foundation India said that every five minutes in the country, one or the other is diagnosed with blood cancer or a blood disorder like thalassemia or aplastic anemia. Paul said, “While blood cancer is a major threat to life, a set of healthy blood stem cells from a matching donor can prove to be life-saving. Despite many people suffering from this disease, only 0.04 percent of the total population are registered as potential blood stem cell donors. Only 30 per cent of patients who need a stem cell transplant as a life-saving treatment are able to get a sibling as a match. The remaining 70 percent depend on finding a matching donor to whom they do not have a blood relation.

There are misconceptions about the donor

There are many misconceptions in the society regarding stem cell donor. But it is one of the best help that one person can do for another. When it comes to donor, it is like giving blood. Dr Sen concluded by saying, “The donor is discharged on the same day. They do not face any problem because of the procedure. They may just need to take medicine. Nowadays, unless the donor is a member of the family, we do not take marrow from that donor. These cells are taken from the nerves. We don’t go near the bone. It is a painless procedure.”

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