57-year-old Mathadi union leader from Navi Mumbai regains mobility and independence after pioneering cancer treatment | Pixabay (Representative Image)
Navi Mumbai: A medical procedure to treat cancers of blood like leukaemia and lymphoma was successfully used on a 57-year-old bed-ridden man suffering from quadriparesis (weakness of all limbs) that resulted from multiple myeloma (a blood cancer that occurs when abnormal plasma cells build up in the bone marrow).
The autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) helped Baban Pandurang Shinde to not only walk again but also drive his car which had become unimaginable for him. The procedure involves collecting and reinfusing a patient’s own healthy stem cells to replace the damaged ones.
A resident of Kalyan, Shinde is the general secretary of the union for Mathadi workers. Not being able to walk, let alone work, for the past one year, he visited several doctors, before going to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Navi Mumbai.
He was advised ASCT, which the hospital said is a landmark procedure, offering hope to patients who cannot undergo traditional blood transfusions due to medical conditions, religious beliefs, or personal preferences.
In addition to multiple myeloma that led to quadriparesis, Shinde also had multiple health challenges, including hypertension, diabetes, functional iron deficiency, borderline vitamin B12 levels, compromised lung function, and kidney disease. Given the complexity of his health condition, traditional blood transfusions posed significant risks.
Understanding these challenges, Dr Kunal Goyal, consultant haemato-oncologist specialising in bone marrow transplant and cellular therapies (CAR-T decided to adopt the cutting-edge approach and performed a bloodless or transfusion-free ASCT.
Shinde’s bone marrow was used as the source of stem cells, which reduced reliance on blood transfusions compared to peripheral blood stem cell collection. Iron levels were optimised to enhance the body’s natural ability to produce red blood cells, and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) were used to stimulate the bone marrow, to treat anaemia without transfusions.
Medication was given to preserve platelet function and count, and meticulous surgical techniques and blood conservation methods were employed to minimise blood loss.
Shinde was discharged after a successful recovery without the need for blood transfusions. “He is doing well and has returned to a normal life with his family and work,” Dr Goyal said.
