- The unit offers one of its kind step-down BMT units for pre and post-transplant care
- The state-of-the-art unit will function as an in-house facility for total body irradiation and stem cell harvest
Ahmedabad: Monday, 25th September 2023: Marengo CIMS Hospital today launched a state-of-the-artsix-bed, HEPA-filtered,one-of-a-kind step-down Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy unit for Pre and post-transplant Care. This unit will include positively pressured BMT rooms and will be led by one of the largest BMT Teams in the state. The doctors leading the unit at Marengo CIMS Hospital are Dr Ankit Jitani, Hematologist and Bone Marrow Transplant Physician,Dr Hemant Menghani, Pediatric Hematologist Oncologist and Bone Marrow Transplant Physician,and Dr Kaumil Patel, Consultant Hematology & Bone Marrow Transplant.
Benefiting the patients requiring bone marrow transplants, this unit will serve as aIn house facility for total body irradiation and stem cell harvest. The facility is established for both Autologous (own stem cells) and allogeneic (donor stem cells) transplants with a dedicated staff trained for pediatric BMT as well. The unit is also equipped with clinical excellence in adult and pediatric transplants for all blood cancers, benign hematology diseases, pediatric solid tumors,and autoimmune diseases.
Dr Ankit Jitani, Hematologist and Bone Marrow Transplant Physician, Marengo CIMS Hospital, Ahmedabad says, “Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) is also known as Stem Cell or Hematopoietic Cell Transplant. It is an advanced form of medical treatment and not a surgery. BMT is broadly of two types depending on the source of stem cells. Autologous, where the transplant is done using the patient’s own stem cells, and Allogenic, where donor stem cells are used. These stem cells are collected from the peripheral blood using an Apheresis machine, similar to the collection of platelets used for dengue patients. The donor does not lose any organ and the stem cell gets quickly regenerated. BMT is a curative treatment option for many types of blood disease including blood cancer. Autologous stem cell transplant is mainly done for blood cancers like Multiple Myeloma, Lymphoma, Pediatric Solid Tumor, and Autoimmune Diseases. All patients of Multiple Myeloma below 65 years of age should undergo an Autologous Transplant without doubt as it significantly improves survival and quality of life. Lymphoma patient undergoes BMT in relapse settings where chemotherapy or immuno therapy is not able to control the disease where BMT remains the only curative treatment option.”
Dr Hemant Menghani, Pediatric Hematologist Oncologist and Bone Marrow Transplant Physician, Marengo CIMS Hospital emphasizes that “In children, Bone Marrow Transplant offers an option to cure many diseases such as blood cancers (leukemia and lymphoma) which have relapsed or not shown response to chemotherapy. Pediatric bone marrow failure syndrome is where bone marrow has stopped making blood cells, Pediatric immunodeficiency diseases, High-risk relapsed Pediatric solid tumors as well as diseases such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease where there is abnormal blood formation and patients are either transfusion dependent or on supportive care. Pediatric patients generally tolerate the treatment of bone marrow transplant well with good success rates and it is generally agreed to do the procedure early before organ damage due to the underlying disease occurs. Pediatric transplants involve the need for a highly specialized comprehensive care team specially geared for intensive care for children and supportive care for the family and caregivers. Our center takes pride in caring for high-risk pediatric cases for bone marrow transplant as we have a very dedicated team who is efficient in providing care not only during the transplant period but during the complex post-transplant journey for the patient and the family.”
Dr Kaumil Patel, Consultant, Hematology & Bone Marrow Transplant, Marengo CIMS Hospital, Ahmedabad says, “ The prevalence of Blood cancer is increasing day by day, we are witnessing more and younger as well as middle-aged patients with Blood cancersnowadays. The good thing about blood cancer is most blood cancers are curable in current times and age with advanced therapy. Blood Cancer therapy options include Chemotherapy, immuno therapy, targeted agents, and Bone marrow transplants. With the help of Bone marrow transplant curing most blood cancers even in their advanced stage is possible. The practice of bone marrow transplant is more than 30 years old and new advances are making it more and more successful. Many patients whom we were not able to save decades back now are living a normal family life after transplant and that’s the beauty of it. Among the types of Bone marrow transplants Allogenic transplant is one that we are using frequently to treat Blood cancer like Leukemia in Adult and Pediatric patients. In such a type of transplant, we take stem cells from a brother or sister and infuse those stem cells into patients. The success of this type of transplant has come a long way; it is safe and curative in today’s world. Parents or Cousins can also become a donor for allogeneic transplants. Last, but not the least, Bone marrow transplant is a new hope for patients with blood cancer and to make Bone marrow transplant feasible for every person in need is our moral responsibility towards them.”
Dr Keyur Parikh, Chairman, Marengo CIMS Hospital says, “Bone Marrow Transplants (BMTs) are on a steady rise in India, with about 2,500 transplants being performed yearly. About five years ago there were only approximately 500 transplants conducted. But the recent years have witnessed a rise. Though the number of BMT centers is increasing, it is less than 10% of the actual requirement in India and it is our responsibility as healthcare providers to make treatments for blood cancers increasingly accessible through sustained awareness. Our endeavor in establishing the unit is directed towards those very goals to enhance and optimize patient outcomes.”
