BHUBANESWAR: A 48-year-old woman received a successful autologous bone marrow transplant (BMT) from medical professionals at the Bagchi Sri Shankara Cancer Centre and Research Institute (BSSCCRI).

After being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, the woman from the Cuttack district suffered for over a year. BSSCCRI became the fifth hospital in the state to offer the haematopoietic stem cell transplant, and this was the first BMT performed there.

A group of medical professionals under the direction of Dr. Tribikram Panda, a consultant in the BMT and haemato-oncology departments, extracted stem cells from the patient’s body and carried out the successful transplant. “In an autologous bone marrow transplant, the diseased or damaged bone marrow is replaced with healthy blood stem cells from the patient’s own body. The patient was admitted to the hospital for 16 days before being released. Following her transplant, she is currently undergoing standard clinical follow-up, according to Dr. Panda.

The Ayushman Bharat PM JAY program fully funded this transplant. The main team included hemato-oncology consultants Dr. Amiya Ranjan Nayak and Dr. Satarupa Mahapatra. The primary team received prompt support from Dr. Raka Hota and Dr. Meghna from the haematology lab, Dr. Santosh K. Mishra from the transfusion medicine department, and Dr. Soumitra Ranjan Barik from radiation oncology.

In April of this year, Dr. BS Srinath, the institution’s head, officially opened the BSSCCRI BMT section, a centre of excellence in eastern India. The unit is now treating myeloma, lymphoma, and high-end leukaemia inductions using chemoimmunotherapy, according to medical director Dr. Lalatendu Sarangi.