Media Release
Udupi, Feb 11: The first ever paediatric bone marrow transplantation in coastal Karnataka has been performed at Kasturba Medical College and Hospital, Manipal under the leadership of medical oncologist Dr Karthik S Udupa, assistant professor, department of medical oncology, Shirdi Sai Cancer Hospital, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal. The autologous bone marrow transplant (BMT) was performed on a 4-year-old female child.
Parents of the girl child, a resident of Korangarapady, Udupi, initially came with swelling in her skull and neck and later she was diagnosed as stage 4 neuroblastoma in Kasturba Hospital, Manipal. Neuroblastoma is a most common solid cancer of childhood that frequently originates in one of the adrenal glands, but can also develop in nerve tissues in the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis. Soon after the diagnosis, the child received 8 cycles of chemotherapy to which she responded well. This was consolidated with autologous bone marrow transplant which lasted for 36 days from January 7 to date.
Bone marrow transplant involves 3 major steps, said Dr Kathik Udupa: 1) Stem cell collection, 2) High dose chemotherapy, 3) Stem cell transfusion. The child was admitted on January 5 and her normal stem cells were collected and stored. The patient was give high dose chemotherapy on January 6, and the previously collected stem cell was transfused on January 7. Subsequently she had a period of neutropenia, that is, low WBC count which was then complicated by high grade fever and persistent loose stools and electrolyte imbalance. All the complications were managed with appropriate medicine and strict aseptic measures for the next 25 days. During the procedure the child was made to stay in an isolated sterile environment and strict barrier nursing was followed. Presently the child has no fever and loose stools and electrolytes are within the normal range.
Dr Udupa also said the child is perfectly healthy and is fit to perform her normal daily activities like any other child.
Stem cell collection (apheresis), which is required for BMT, was done under the leadership of Dr Shamee Shastri, HoD transfusion medicine, Kasturba Medical College and Hospital, Manipal and specialist paediatric advice was obtained from Dr Srikiran Hebbar, HoD paediatrics, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.
Dr (Col) M Dayananda, medical superintendent and COO said, "After introduction of BMT facility at Kasturba Hospital Manipal in 2015, five successful transplants have been performed so far by Dr Karthik S Udupa. This was the first occasion where transplant was done in a paediatric patient. This treatment is the first of its kind in coastal Karnataka and was earlier available only in Bengaluru. The whole procedure was performed at a very affordable cost and is economical compared to other corporate setups."