Bhubaneswar: Early detection is the key to fight of blood cancer as treatment through stem cell transplant has improved survival rate significantly, an expert said at a programme organised at Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here on Wednesday.
Prof. (Dr) Priyanka Samal, Head of the department of Haematology, Hemato Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, said around 1 lakh people get diagnosed with a form of the disease like leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma every year.
He pointed out that India ranks third in the world in terms of reported cases of blood cancer, after the United States and China.
The programme was organised ahead of World Blood Cancer Day, which is observed globally on May 28.
Prof. Samal said various types of blood cancer had divergent subtypes, symptoms and causes requiring different treatment, with leukaemia being India’s most common type of blood cancer and accounted for over half of all cases.
She said IMS and SUM Hospital was equipped with state-of-the-art technology for the diagnosis and management of all types of blood cancer.
“The treatment options available in the hospital were tailored to the individual patient’s need which included chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and stem cell transplant,” she said.
Eminent neurosurgeon and SOA Deemed-to-be-University’s Principal Advisor (Health Sciences) Prof. (Dr) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, senior professor in the medicine department Prof. (Dr) Lalit Kumar Meher and Additional Dean (Examination Cell) Prof. (Dr.) Rachita Sarangi also addressed the programme, which attended by many blood cancer patients.
