Leukaemia is a blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow and then spreads to the whole body. The bone marrow of patients with leukaemia starts making abnormal white blood cells, which affects a person’s ability to fight infections and weakens the body. Patients who have leukaemia have unhealthy bone marrow and blood.
This blog by Cross Border Care will be your complete guide to bone marrow transplants in India for leukaemia.
Bone Marrow Transplant Surgery India: A Quick Background
Bone marrow is the home to blood cells. It also contains stem cells that are responsible for making three types of cells in our body, namely:
- Red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body
- White blood cells to fight infections and diseases
- Platelets to prevent blood clots
These blood cells ensure our body remains healthy and happy!
Leukaemia is also of three types:
AML: It is the most aggressive form of leukemia, and the cancer affects myeloid cells. These WBCs multiply rapidly and prevent the good cells from functioning properly. They occur in adults who are above the age of 60.
ALL: This type of leukaemia affects lymphocytes, which are WBCs that help fight infection in the body. This type of cancer mostly affects children, but it can also affect adults.
CML: CML is a type of leukaemia similar to AML. Both types of blood cancer affect the myeloid cells. However, the abnormal production of myeloid cells in AML is rapid, whereas in CML, it is slower. CML mostly occurs in older adults and rarely happens in children.
Bone Marrow Transplant India: Best Way to Fight Leukemia
Bone marrow transplant in India involves replacing the patient’s unhealthy bone marrow with healthy bone marrow. The healthy bone marrow is usually taken from either the patient or the donor. The concept of bone marrow transplant can be understood from the table below:
| Type | Description |
| Autologous BMT | Patient bone marrow is used, and no outside donor |
| Allogenic BMT | Sibling is the perfect match |
| Haploallogenic BMT | The donor is external and can be parents, children or sometimes relatives |
| Syngenic | The donor is the identical twin of the patient |
Why is HLA Matching Important?
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is a type of protein found in our bodies. To get a bone marrow transplant in India, your HLA should match the donor’s HLA. If stem cells from an unmatched HLA enter the human body, the immune system treats them as foreign bodies and fights them.
- In many cases, a sibling is an adequate HLA match for an allogeneic transplant.
- A Haplo-allogeneic transplant is recommended if there are no siblings. The haplo donor can be a patient’s relative, a child, or a very close relative. The majority of the matches are 50%, with a higher risk of rejection.
- Patients can combat this problem by using the ‘matched unrelated donor’ process through the global donor registry. This process is the most expensive but offers a greater chance of finding a good match.
Cost of Bone Marrow Transplant in India: Why is the procedure expensive?
To understand the cost of Bone Marrow Transplant in India, study the table below:
| Transplant Type | Cost in India | Cost in the US |
| Autologous | $ 15000 | $ 1,40,000 |
| Allogenic | $24000 | $ 330,000 |
| Haplo allogenic | $35000 | $360000 |
When is a bone marrow transplant in India expensive?
- If the patient does not get a donor, the patient has to get a donor from a global registry, which is very expensive.
- Before bone marrow transplants, patients require chemotherapy to kill abnormal white blood cells, which adds to the total cost.
- The transplant process requires specially trained doctors and equipment./
- Patients also need medicines to prevent rejection and follow-up visits to make sure that the transplant is a success. That is why Bone Marrow Transplant Surgery costs in India is high.
How can international patients get bone marrow transplants in India?
Due to its highly affordable prices, haematological experts, and advanced technology, India has emerged as one of the most reliable destinations for the transplantation of bone marrow in India among leukaemia patients.
Contact Cross Border Care
Dr Nadeem personally connects with International patients and helps them find the right fit for a Bone Marrow Transplant Program. First, patients share initial reports with him. The reports include the following information:
- Results of the initial scans
- Lab reports
- All medical documents and files
- HLA reports that are clear and in high-resolution
If you do not have any medical reports, there is nothing to worry about! He and his team will help you. All you need to do is fill out the form on-screen and let us guide you.
Top Hospitals for Bone Marrow Transplant in India
BLK Max Super Specialty Hospital
- JCI Accredited
- Top 10 hospitals in India
- Serves both local and international patients
- Specializes in cancer care
Max Healthcare New Delhi
- JCI Accredited
- Treats 20000 plus international patients annually
- NABH accredited
- ISO Certified
Fortis Memorial Research Institute Gurgaon
- JCI & NABH Accredited Hospital
- NABL Accredited Lab
- Ranked No. 2 in Delhi NCR’s Best Private Hospitals
Top Doctors For Bone Marrow Transplant in India
Dr Ashok Vaid
Location – Medanta The Medicity
Designation – Head of the Cancer Institute- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology
Prof Vinod Raina
Location – Fortis Memorial Research Institute -FMRI
Designation – Head Of The Department (Oncology)
Dr Dharma Chaudhary
Location – BLK Hospital, New Delhi
Designation – Bone Marrow Transplant Surgeon At BLK Hospital, New Delhi
Bone Marrow Transplant for Leukemia in India are Safe
In India, Bone Marrow Transplants for Leukemia are generally safe and effective. A study conducted in India and published in NCBI reported a success rate of 95%. Furthermore, another Indian study conducted and published in the Journal of Pediatric Hematology found the Haplo-Allogeneic Stem Cell transplant to be safe and effective, with a 70.5 % survival of children with acute leukaemias.
Conclusion
Patients, especially from overseas countries, are taking advantage of the opportunity to come to India for a bone marrow transplant because of the low cost relative to the US, highly trained transplant surgeons, and ease of arrangements.
Contact us below to get more details if you wish to undergo a bone marrow transplant in India.
