Kolkata: HCG EKO Cancer Centre on Wednesday announced that it has successfully treated a 27-year-old young woman suffering from acute myeloid leukemia through a bone marrow transplant.
The bone marrow transplant procedure was performed by Dr. Joydeep Chakrabartty, HOD – Hemato Oncology & BMT at HCG EKO Cancer Centre Kolkata and team.
A bone marrow transplant also called a stem cell transplant is a procedure that infuses healthy blood-forming stem cells into the human body to replace damaged or diseased bone marrow. The procedure is performed if the bone marrow stops working and does not produce enough healthy blood cells.
Addressing the Press, Dr. Joydeep Chakrabartty said, “The patient was suffering from acute back pain and was almost bedridden. Her initial complete blood count test investigations revealed that she was suffering from acute myeloid leukemia with multiple high-risk mutations.”
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer caused in bone marrow. The disease progresses rapidly without treatment and mostly affects the cells that aren’t fully developed, which cannot carry out their normal functions.”
In October 2019, 27-year-old Sathi Karmakar started getting acute back pain, which later worsened, where she could neither sit nor walk. Her condition deteriorated day by day. After consulting multiple hospitals, she was referred to Dr. Joydeep Chakrabartty.
After admission at HCG EKO, a bone marrow aspiration procedure, first and second chemo cycle were done, post which the bone marrow transplant was performed in February 2020 by Dr. Chakrabartty and team at HCG EKO. Sathi’s sister was the donor and the treatment went very well with no major complications.
Dr. Joydeep Chakrabartty said, “This is an unusual case as there was a pain in the back to start with which was initially diagnosed as sacroilitis and then turned out to be acute myeloid leukemia. Bone marrow transplant is a recommended treatment for many blood disorders and blood cancers. Her sister was a full human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match, so she was the best donor for her, and the bone marrow transplant procedure was successfully performed.”
Dr. Joydeep Chakrabartty further added, “During her initial chemotherapy treatment, she had neutropenic sepsis and drug-related hepatitis which is a known fatal complication of acute myeloid leukemia. She required an allogeneic stem cell transplant as per standard treatment protocol of acute myeloid leukemia which is a very complicated and sophisticated treatment involving life risk and requires meticulous care. With the continuous team efforts and excellent nursing care at our hospital, the patient was successfully treated.”
Dr. Birendra Kumar, Chief Operating Officer, HCG EKO Cancer Centre Kolkata said, “HCG has always been at the forefront of providing the latest and best treatment facilities for the patients. I am proud to say that all our senior bone marrow transplant nurses are BMT fellowship certified. Also, the junior nursing staffs are enrolled in bone marrow transplant fellowship, which is run by HCG, and receive BMT specific training. As this is a specialized treatment that requires long admission, the nurses take care of the patients with more empathy and a personalized approach.”
Dr. Birendra Kumar said, “I would like to congratulate the entire team involved in the successful treatment of the patient. We have outlined our clinical expertise by performing multiple Bone marrow transplant procedures. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to offer the best treatment for our patients with a safe environment and effective care.”
HCG EKO Cancer Centre is a dedicated Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre in Kolkata. It has a state-of-the-art Laboratory and Nuclear Imaging services providing comprehensive Biochemistry, Pathology, Histo-Pathology, Molecular Biology, 24-Hour Blood Bank Support and PET Imaging services.