New life for blood cancer patient

Vadodara: Old man suffering from multiple myeloma got a new lease of life after successfully undergoing bone marrow transplant (BMT).

Bhavesh Patel, a resident of Anand, was suffering from multiple myeloma - a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells, the specialised blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection. He was under reatment since 2021.

"The abnormal plasma cells build up in the bone marrow and impair production of normal blood cells and can affect kidneys, bones and other organs, impeding their functions," said Dr Suraj Goyanka, haematologist and BMT specialist.

He, along with Dr Viral Oza and Dr Swati Patel, successfully conducted the BMT procedure at Shree Krishna Hospital, Karamsad. "We first counselled him and his wife. Then, we decided to conduct an autologous stem cell transplant. Chemotherapy was used as first form of treatment before BMT was done to achieve good control of the disease," he said.

"The blood bank staff collected the stem cells. After two weeks, new blood cells were produced," he added.