Times News Network
Varanasi: The division of Paediatric Haematology-Oncology, department of Paediatrics, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University has successfully carried out the second autologous Stem cell transplantation within a span of one year. The first transplant was carried out last year in February 2020.
The medical superintendent Prof SK Mathur said that due to Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown for a few months, further transplants could not be carried out. However, with reopening of the OPD services of Sir Sunderlal Hospital, a second transplant was planned and carried out successfully on December 23. This is an important milestone for the division especially because it has been carried out amid Covid pandemic.
He said that the patient, a nine-year old boy, was suffering from refractory Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a type of cancer of the lymphnodes). He was given high dose chemotherapy to kill the remaining cancer cells. His stem cells were harvested in the Blood Bank of SS Hospital. The child tolerated the whole procedure well and was discharged home in good condition after 40 days of hospital stay. The second successful transplant has opened the way for treatment of children with several haematological and oncological diseases which include leukemia (blood cancer), aplastic anemia and thalassemia etc.