Doctors achieve new feat in cancer treatment with cord transplant and Car T-cell therapy

A private health facility in West Bengal achieved a new milestone in cancer treatment by successfully administering a Haplo Cord transplant to a seven-year-old boy with thalassaemia. The child, who required monthly blood transfusions, was diagnosed with HbE Beta thalassemia and was counseled to participate in the "Save the Sibling" programme.

IVF and pre-implantation genetic testing produced a matched thalassemia-free sibling with compatible HLA. The haplo-cord transplant, performed using the sibling's cord blood and his father's stem cells, was conducted by Narayana Health. Although the child faced complications such as infections, mucositis, liver issues, and low blood counts, he recovered well and is now transfusion-free.

In another significant development, a 62-year-old male patient from Myanmar with brain cancer underwent CAR T-cell therapy, an advanced immunotherapy treatment. Initially experiencing gait disturbance, the patient was later diagnosed with primary CNS lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After four rounds of high-dose chemotherapy failed to produce satisfactory results, doctors opted for CAR T-cell therapy.

The treatment involved lymphocyte collection, bridging with radiation and medications, followed by a dual CAR targeting CD19 and CD22 on the cancer cells. Experts from Narayana Health, Dr. Joydeep Chakrabartty and Dr. Prasanta Chowdhury, highlighted these remarkable recoveries as landmark achievements in medical science and emphasized the compassionate approach taken throughout the treatments.