Cancer is basically a toxic lump of continuously growing abnormal cells in any part of the body. The hinder the growth of healthy cells and thus the body’s immune system is affected. Cancers originating in the blood are commonly treated by stem cell transplantation.
Stem cells in the bone marrow, blood and the lymphatic system are responsible for the production of blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets). Due to some defect in the stem cells (mostly genetic), the production of the blood cells become irregular and thus it prevents the body to fight the diseases.
According to the cancer hospitals in India, the three main types of blood-related cancers that require stem cell transplant are:
- Leukaemia – the cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
- Lymphoma – the cancer of the lymphatic system.
- Myeloma – a blood cancer that targets the plasma cells.
Leukaemia is a cancer of white blood cells. In this case, the body produces white blood cells more than the red blood cells which make the oxygen level drop in the body. Leukaemia can be acute or chronic. Where acute leukaemia spreads very fast and is a little difficult to cure, chronic leukaemia spreads slowly but can turn deadly if not treated in time.
Some of the best oncology hospitals in India reported that other than blood cancer, stem cells transplantation can be used to treat the following-
- Bone marrow diseases: Amegakaryocytosis/congenital thrombocytopenia, Fanconi anaemia, Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), Pure red cell aplasia, Severe aplastic anaemia.
- Familial erythrophagocythiclymphohistiocytosis and other histiocytic disorders.
- Hemoglobinopathies: Beta Thalassemia Major and Sickle Cell Disease.
- Inherited Immune System Disorders: Severe combined immunodeficiency and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.
- Inherited Metabolic Disorders: Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), Hurler Syndrome (MPS-IH), Krabbe Disease (GLD), and Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD).
In stem cell transplantation, the patient’s defective bone marrow is extracted from his or her body and new healthy stem cells are transplanted in its place. The stem cells can be obtained from two sources: from a donor or from the patient itself. When the stem cells are obtained from a donor, the patient and the donor has to go through several tests to determine if they are suitable for each other. This procedure can take time and the patient has the risk of his/her body not accepting the new cells. Whereas, if the stem cells are obtained by the patient itself, the procedure is much faster and the patient doesn’t have to worry about his or her body not accepting the new cells. The top cancer hospitals in India try to obtain the stem cells through the patient itself.
The cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy tend to destroy the multiplying cells and therefore it is not possible to extract those stem cells. This is why the doctors perform a minor surgery where they extract the stem cells from the patient’s blood or bone marrow. One of the stem cells are extracted, they are stored in a container at extremely low temperatures.
After this, the patient is put on chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy destroys all the cancerous cells and stops the production of new defective cells. Once the doctors are certain that all the defective cells have been destroyed, they perform a stem cell transplant surgery. Sometimes, the doctor performs radiation therapy even after the surgery to reduce the pain and make sure that no defective cells are left behind.
The radiation oncology in India is performed using high technology machinery and highly experienced doctors and a team of technicians. They make sure that the procedure takes place without a hitch and the patient doesn’t face any serious complications.
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