Realising you have cancer is not a good experience but that moment when you know you won over cancer is truly a memorable one. You might feel depressed, frightened, or even exhausted following your cancer diagnosis. Blood cancer is one such type of cancer that occurs when abnormal blood cells start growing out of control, interrupting the functioning of normal blood cells. But, with the advancement of medical science in our country, untreatable cancer diseases now have different ways of treatment. An important part of coping with any type of cancer is recognizing the feelings and emotions connected to it, says Dr. Vikas Dua – the Best Bone Marrow Specialist in Delhi.
Understanding what the disease is all about and what treatments can be taken will help you in fighting the disease. For a blood cancer patient and their family, it is important to understand what and when a bone marrow transplant is required and its process.
The bone marrow creates blood stem cells which may become any form of blood cell that the body requires. Stem cells differentiate and grow continuously into different kinds of blood cells, replacing old and worn-out blood cells in the body. Billions of new blood cells are formed each day. If the stem cells are unable to generate sufficient fresh blood cells, there could be other severe health issues. These health issues can include infection, bleeding, or anemia.
A human body requires strong stem cells to lead a healthy life. These stem cells get destroyed during cancer treatments in which case we can use Stem Cell Transplantation
Let’s look at what Stem Cell Transplantation is:
Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT) is a process in which a recipient accepts healthy stem cells to supplement damaged stem cells. It is also referred to as bone marrow transplantation. Before SCT, the patient takes heavy doses of chemotherapy and occasionally radiation therapy to allow the body for transplantation. This is “conditioning therapy.” They move to the bone marrow after the stem cells are injected into the patient’s bloodstream to initiate the cycle of producing new, healthier blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. This cycle is called ‘engraftment’.The complete stem cell transplantation procedure differs from person to person.
Some of the general procedures involved are:
- Evaluation and pre-transplant texting
- Identifying the type of transplantation required for the patient.
There are 3 types of transplantation:
Autologous:- Involves the use of the patient’s own stem cells. After a conditioning regime, these cells are extracted, processed and restored to his or her own body.
Syngeneic:- This is when the stem cells are used from an identical twin.
Allogeneic:– Obtaining blood stem cells from a donor
Conditioning treatment: The patient receives chemotherapy or radiation to kill any of the diseased cells in the body and to establish room for the transplanted stem cells to grow in the bone marrow.
Transplanting the new stem cells into the patient
Engraftment and recovery: Transplanted stem cells continue developing and reproducing healthy blood cells. Engraftment lasts approximately two to three weeks for bone marrow or blood Stem Cell Transplantation whereas, for cord blood transplantation, the procedure requires three to five weeks. At this time, most patients remain in the hospital to be shielded from infection and treated for side effects, while selected patients might be outpatients.
Dr. Vikas Dua is a renowned Pediatric Hematologist in India, with extensive experience of over 20 years in the field of Hematology. He possesses expertise in Blood Cancer, Bone Marrow Transplant, Leukemia, Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors, Neuroblastomas, Wilms Tumor, Lymphoma, Thalassemia, Sickle Cell Anemia, Aplastic Anemia and Pediatric Cancer. Dr. Vikas Dua strongly believes that early diagnosis, proper guidance & support are the cornerstones of fruitful outcomes even in life-threatening hematological disorders.
Fortis Hospital is the best hospital providing treatment for all blood-related diseases. The aim is to introduce the highest level of knowledge and abilities used in the treatment of patients with the use of modern and innovative accessible equipment to offer great treatment at reasonable prices.
Dr. Vikas Dua is the best paediatric hemato oncologist and bone marrow transplant specialist of the generation. He is committed to making treatment as comfortable and effective as possible, letting parents focus on helping their child get better, and allowing the patient to just be a kid. Dr. Vikas Dua, the best Bone marrow specialist in Delhi India focuses on the most advanced medical care combined with the best emotional support for your child and your family.
