Ahmedabad: Upping the game against blood cancer

AHMEDABAD: A group of patients with oncogenic conditions such as thalassamia, anaemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, high-risk acute myelogenous leukemia participated, along with their relatives, in a workshop organized by AddLife Foundation in Ahmedabad on Sunday where experts talked about different conditions, applicability of bone marrow transplants and challenges ahead.

Nimisha Gandhi, founder of AddLife Foundation, said that over 80 patients from across the state took part at programme to address health issues and seek comfort from the fact that they are not alone in their struggles. “A number of myths still surround these diseases and we wanted to show how they can overcome it. It was heart-breaking to hear their tales - one of the participants confessed that many a time the treatment is a monetary decision due to the high costs involved,” she said.

Dr Sandip Shah, a city-based hematologist and oncologist, said that the need of the hour is to understand the ways available to bear or share the pressure. “If the patient is young, we always refer them to the government schemes where they can be treated free of cost. Family support is another major factor. There surely are technological advancements now — we can treat patients with multiple relapses after transplants — but we also need systems in place where we can encourage donors for the cause of bone marrow transplants,” he said.