CHENNAI: Doctors at Apollo Proton Cancer Centre successfully treated a 35-year-old woman from Oman, who was diagnosed with advanced stage of blood cell cancer.
According to doctors, the woman, a nurse by profession, was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), blood cell cancer in advanced stage, at a hospital in Oman in January. After one course of chemotherapy, the patient was referred to Apollo Hospital for further treatment and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Dr Jose M Easow, Consultant, Medical Oncology and Hematology, In-Charge of Blood and Marrow Transplantation Unit, Apollo Cancer Specialty Hospital, said, “Prior to the transplant, the patient was given total marrow irradiation at Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, a procedure where the radiation was given only to the marrow, thus preventing the other body organs from getting exposed to the radiation.”
“This is the first case of total marrow irradiation procedure that we performed at the centre on April 23, after it was launched recently. Traditionally, the patient would be given full body irradiation and it had the risks of other organs like eyes, thyroid, heart, lungs, kidneys and ovaries getting affected. This is a specialised treatment available now,” said Dr Srinivas Chilukuri, senior consultant, radiation oncologist, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre.
After detailed diagnosis and irradiation, bone marrow transplant was performed. “We evaluated the patient’s brother, and found he was a full matched donor for blood stem cell transplantation. So, he donated his cells and the patient is recovering,” said Dr Jose.
Sharing her treatment experience here, the patient said, “After diagnosis, I was shocked, but I remained positive throughout the treatment. After irradiation I didn’t develop much complications, I just had mild vomiting and other mild reactions. I thank our government for helping me and sending me to India.”
Apollo Hospitals Group Vice Chairperson Preetha Reddy, and Executive Chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy were also present.
Treatment given to Jaya should be evaluated by experts: Apollo
Chennai: Apollo Hospitals had given the best possible medical care to the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and it only wanted the evaluation be done by medical experts and not by others, said Dr Prathap C Reddy, Executive Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, on Wednesday. Speaking to press on the sidelines of an event he said, “The Arumughaswamy Commission, which was constituted by the government to probe the circumstances that led to the death of Jayalalithaa, has unfortunately written 15 seconds as 15 minutes in its translation from Tamil to English.”
“Medical evaluation should be done by experts and not by others, and the Supreme Court has said yes. We think we are very clear and we will go by whatever the verdict is there,” Reddy added. He was answering to a query over the hospital’s stand on requesting the constitution of a medical board to evaluate the treatment provided to the late CM. It may be noted that the Supreme Court recently stayed probe by the Arumughaswamy Commission based on the petition filed by the Apollo Hospitals.