Stem Cell Transplant in india
What is a stem cell transplant?
Stem Cells are the cells that are produced in the bone marrow of a human body. They are produced to become any cells that the body requires. Stem cells, when mature, become RBCs, WBCs or blood platelets.
Stem Cell replacement is a procedure in which a patient receives healthy blood cells to replace the damaged stem cells caused by strong chemoradiation while undergoing cancer treatment. Stem Cell replacement is also done to replace the affected stem cells due to naturally occurring diseases. Anemia and bleeding are the most common symptoms of damaged Stem cells in the human body.
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Before a stem cell replacement, the patient is required to undergo strong chemoradiation to prepare for the transplant and this process of conditioning the body to accept new stem cells from a donor is called ‘Conditioning treatment’. After a Stem Cell Transplant, the donor cells move to the bone marrow of the recipient to form new healthy blood cells. This process is called ‘Engraftment’.
Stem cell replacements can be broadly classified into six kinds. They are:
- Autologous Stem Cell Transplant
- Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant
- peripheral blood Stem Cell Transplant
- Bone marrow Stem Cell Transplant and
- Cord Stem Cell Transplant
Why is a stem cell transplant done?
Stem cell replacement is a part of the bone marrow transplant. This is done to replace the affected stem cells to improve the bone marrow’s efficiency to produce new blood cells after conditioning treatment or radiation therapy.
After radiation therapy or conditioning, the body is exposed to large volumes of anti-carcinogenic elements that kill cancerous cells. In this process, the bone marrow is also affected and loses its capability to produce new blood cells. At this point, the immune system of the body is weak as there are no white blood cells and stem cells being produced. With a Stem Cell Transplant, the host (patient) is induced with healthy stem cells that move to the bone marrow and form new blood cells and strengthen the immune system to fight the remnant cancer cells that are weakened after radiation.
Types of stem cell transplants:
Autologous Stem Cell Transplant
Autologous Stem Cell Transplant is a procedure that uses the patient’s own blood cells to produce new stem cells. In this process, the patient undergoes ‘Cell mobilization’: a process that encourages the body to produce more stem cells and initiates the movement of the stem cells from the bone marrow to the bloodstream. Stem-cell rich blood is then collected from the patient and processed into a machine that separates the stem cells from the blood. Then, it is stored in sub-zero conditions for later usage.
This rest of the blood is sent back to the patient’s body, after which the chemotherapy treatment begins. Chemotherapy’s strong radiation regimen kills all cancerous cells, but it also destroys the blood-producing cells in the bone marrow.
The major advantage of Autologous Stem Cell Transplant is that it does not expose the patient to any risks in terms of Graft vs host adoption.
Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation
In Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants, the patient receives stem cells from a donor and is executed after the patient undergoes conditioning treatment or chemotherapy. In this process, the stem cell-rich blood of a matching donor is processed in a machine that separates stem cells from the blood and is transferred into the host’s body.
After conditioning treatment and chemotherapy, the blood making cells are severely damaged and hence the immune system tends to be weak.
The new stem cells from the donor are induced into the body for engraftment. In this process, the new stem cells travel to the bone marrow and begin to form new blood cells.
In allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants, the immune system of the host tends to become stronger as the new stem cells form a new immune system and the new blood cells formed also tend to be very effective in removing the remaining cancerous cells in the body. This is called the graft versus tumor effect.
Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants are successful when the HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigens) found in the white blood cells are the right match. Donors are tested for compatibility with a series of HLA tests.
Most matches in HLAs are from:
- HLA-matched unrelated donor
- HLA miss-matched family member
- Unrelated umbilical cord blood
- HLA-matched relative (most often a sibling)
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Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant:
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant is an intravenous cell replacement process that induces stem cells to replace the damaged cells affected by radiation treatment.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant has been in widespread use from the early 1960s and has been prominent in treating and curing carcinogenic and autoimmune diseases. Multiple Sclerosis is often treated with this method.
Peripheral blood stem transplant:
Peripheral blood stem transplant is a form of hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) that is used in Autologous and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants. In this process, the stem cells are collected from the blood rather than the source, i.e the bone marrow. This process is less invasive and can be conducted from an authorized Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) center. The same blood that is found in the bone marrow is found in the bloodstream. This process is chosen depending on the type of the disease, the stage of severity, age, and other conditions of the patient.
Bone marrow transplant:
Bone marrow transplant is a procedure that replaces the cells that are produced by the bone marrow. Bone marrow is a soft tissue that is present inside the bones in the form of a soft tissue. Stem cells are produced by the bone marrow and these stem cells become red blood cells, white blood cells, and blood platelets or form new stem cells if required. Certain cancerous and non-cancerous diseases affect the bone marrow and hence the stem cells being produced are also affected. In a bone marrow transplant, the cells are either replaced through an invasive procedure from the bone marrow or through a non-invasive intravenous procedure through the veins. Invasive bone marrow tissue transplants are only recommended when the disease is a potential threat and if the patient’s physical conditions and age supports it.
Cord blood Stem Cell Transplant:
Cord blood Stem Cell Transplant is a process that is witnessing increased adoption across the world. Like the peripheral blood and bone marrow, the umbilical cord is also a rich source for stem cells. Cord blood Stem Cell Transplants are most effective in treating children and have seen efficient results in the case of adults.
With a cord blood Stem Cell Transplant, the chances of the patient experiencing Graft vs host disorder is significantly reduced. Adding to that, Cord blood Stem Cell Transplants are the least risky in terms of transmission of diseases when compared to the other types of Stem Cell Transplants.
Preserving Cord blood stem cells is also easier, as they have a longer shelf life. Though a definitive figure on its shelf life has not been released, there are cases where cord stem cells from 10 years ago were used successfully.
Diseases that require Stem cell transplantation
- Multiple myeloma
- Leukemia
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma:
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
- Myelofibrosis
- Aplastic anemia
- Autoimmune diseases
Risks
It is important to know the risks associated with Stem Cell Transplants as they help the treating doctors and the patient involved make an informed decision about the treatment options.
Major risks associated with Stem Cell Transplants include:
- Graft Vs Host Syndrome
- Scaly skin, itching, and Rash
- Nausea, Vomiting, and abdominal cramps
- Jaundice
- Dry mouth, damaged lungs, esophagus and other organs
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Infections
- Cataract and Infertility
Transplant Procedure
The process of undergoing a Stem Cell Transplant is risky and not every patient is advised to undergo this process due to factors which include the patient’s prior medical history, his/her ability to withstand the radiation treatment and its side effects. For some patients, a reduced intensity of allogeneic treatment is advised.
Salient factors that are considered before a patient is administered Stem cell replacement are:
- The patient’s general health conditions
- Previous medical history
- Severity of the condition
- The probability of the body responding to the treatment
- Availability of stem cells either from self or a donor
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Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh
Specialist:Â Â Bone Marrow Transplant Surgeon
Experience:16+ years
Hospital:Â Â Â BLK-Max Hospital
About Doctor:
- Head – Haemato Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant (Unit-1)
- Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh is a Hematologic Oncologist and Bone Marrow Transplant Surgeon with 16+ years of experience.
- Interests are hematopoietic BMT in both malignant & Non-malignant hematologic disorders (especially Thalassemia & Aplastic Anemia).
Dr. Gaurav Kharya
Speciality:Â Â Pediatric Haemato Oncology BMT Specialist
Experience:15 Years of experience
Hospital:Â Â Â Indraprastha Apollo Hospital
About Doctor:
- Gaurav Kharya is a Clinical Lead at Center for Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy, Senior Consultant in pediatric hematology oncology and immunology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi.
- He completed his graduation from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh. Following this, he did his post-graduation DCH in pediatric from Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur, UP.
- In 2009, he joined his fellowship in pediatric hemato-oncology & BMT at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital which he completed in 2011.
Dr. Rahul Bhargava
Specialist:Â Â Hematologic Oncologist, BMT
Experience:23+ years of experience
Hospital:Â Â Â Fortis Memorial Research Institute
About Doctor:
- Rahul Bhargava is a Leading Haemato-oncologist in India with over 23+ years of experience.
- He has performed 100+ adult bone marrow transplants which are record-breaking in the whole of North India.
- He is a Director of Haematology & Bone Marrow Transplant at Fortis Memorial Research Institute hospital, Gurgaon.
Dr. Dharma Choudhary
Specialist:Â Â Hematologic Oncologist, BMT Specialist
Experience:20+ years of experience
Hospital: Â Â Â Â Sanar International Hospital
About Doctor:
- Director and HOD
- Dr. Dharma is a highly acclaimed clinician in the field of Hematology & Marrow transplant and he is widely acknowledged for his patient-centric approach.
- With more than 20 years of experience.
Dr. Ashok Kumar Vaid
Speciality:Â Â Paediatric Oncology, Haematology & Bone Marrow Transplant
Experience:35+years of experience
Hospital:Â Â Â Medanta hospital gurgaon
About Doctor:
- Chairman of Division of Medical & Paediatric Oncology, Haematology & Bone Marrow Transplant at Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon.
- He holds an expertise in Treatment of organ specific cancers, Leukemias and Lymphomas.
- He worked as the Head of the Department of Medical Oncology, Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon.
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We offers these Services
- Providing a doctor’s opinion and proper quotation
- Selecting the best hospital and doctor as per your case
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- Providing local sim card
- Arranging video consultation with specialist doctor if case requires
Dr. Rahul Naithani
Speciality:Â Â Â Bone Marrow Transplant, Hematology Oncology
Experience:11+ years of experience
Hospital:Â Â Â Â Â Max Hospital Saket
About Doctor:
- Naithani is a young and energetic clinical hematologist, working as a Director – Bone Marrow Transplantation & Clinical Hematology at Max Healthcare from May 201.1
- He worked at the prestigious The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) Toronto, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada. Then he returned from Canada and joined Max Healthcare in 2011.
- He has set-up the Hematology & Bone Marrow Transplant program at Max Healthcare.
Dr. Nitin Sood
Speciality:Â Â Hematologist
Experience:17+years of experience
Hospital: Â Â Â Medanta Hospital Gurgaon
About Doctor:
- Dr. Nitin Sood is a hematologist with 17+years of experience.
- He was awarded a bursary in 2011 by UK Myeloma Forum American Society of Hematology and First Prize by British Society of Hematology 2009.
- Dr. Sood is a member of the General Medicine Council (GMC), UK; Royal College of Physicians, London; Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh; Royal College of Pathologists (Haemato-oncology), UK and Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS).
Dr. Sameer A. Tulpule
Speciality:Â Â Haematology-oncology & Bone Marrow Transplantation
Experience:18+ years of experience
Hospital:Â Â Â Â Â Â Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital
About Doctor:
- Dr Sameer Tulpule is an adult haematologist with over 18 years of experience in the field. He trained in haematology at the renowned Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital in London.
- Before joining KDAH, he worked as a Consultant in myeloid disorders and stem cell transplantation at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
- He was the lead clinician for the South Yorkshire Network in myeloproliferative disorders, chronic myeloid leukemia and stem cell transplantation.
Dr. Chezhian Subash
Speciality:Â Â Â Haematologist and BMT Specialist
Experience:23+ years of experience
Hospital:Â Â Â Â Â MIOT Hospital Chennai
About Doctor:
- Chezhian Subash is the Consultant Haematologist and BMT Physician at MIOT International.
- Having trained in India and the UK, Subash has extensive experience in general haematology, laboratory haematology, haemato pathology and transfusion medicine.
- His areas of interest are primarily haemato-oncology and bone marrow transplant; he is also a specialist in treating myeloma and lymphoma, besides alternate donor transplant and mismatched transplants.
Dr. Rohan Halder
Speciality:Â Haemato Oncology & BMT(Paediatrics)
Experience:11+years
Hospital:Â Â Â Artemis Hospital
About Doctor:
- He gained experience in management of a variety of plasma cell disorders, lymphomas and extra nodal lymphomas.
- He started his training in Haemato-oncology from Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow.
- His DM training in Clinical Hematology from All India Institute of Medical Sciences,(AIIMS) New Delhi,
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- Providing a doctor’s opinion and proper quotation
- Selecting the best hospital and doctor as per your case
- Arranging a call with the doctor (if the case required)
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- Providing total cost including treatment, air tickets, accommodation, and food
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- Arranging airport pick up/ drop
- Providing professional language interpreter
- Booking accommodation and guest house as per your budget/ prefrence
- Providing help in money exchanging
- Providing local sim card
- Arranging video consultation with specialist doctor if case requires