Gleneagles Hospital at Kengri, Bengaluru, recently successfully treated a 60-year-old woman who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
She was admitted to the emergency department at Gleneagles Hospital with complaints of fever, body pains, lethargy jaundice, loss of appetite, and external bleeds. She was hypotensive, too. Without delay, she was initiated on supportive care and the evaluation revealed a diagnosis of ALL.
ALL is a type of cancer of blood and bone marrow. It occurs when a bone marrow cell develops changes (mutations) in its genetic material or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The instructions that guide a cell what to do are encoded in its DNA. The DNA often instructs the cell to develop at a specific rate and to die at a specific time. The mutations in ALL instruct the bone marrow cell to keep proliferating and dividing on a auto mode and resistant to inhibitors.
PH positive ALL is a high-risk sub-type among the adult sand occurs in 30 percent patients. With the advent of new targeted therapy and newer chemotherapy, it is now possible for these patients to have a normal life after their primary treatment. It is still challenging to treat patients because they can develop low blood counts and are susceptible to infections. Before the advent of targeted therapy transplant was the only curative option the only hope for the patient’s survival.
The team of experts at Gleneagles BGS Hospital comprised Dr Rajeev Vijayakumar, Senior Consultant Medical Oncology, Hemato Oncology and BMT Physician, Dr Govind Eriat, Consultant Hemato Oncology and BMT Physician and Dr Prerana Nesargi, Consultant Pediatric Hemato Oncology/ BMT.
The patient and her family were counseled about the diagnosis and the treatment plan discussed along with risks involved as treating physician has to maintain a very fine balance between the leukemia, chemotherapy toxicities and a very well-preserved good quality of life. This requires a team effort comprising the treating physician nursing staff support health staff and of course patient and family to attain a success in physical mental social and financial domains.
Her first phase of treatment was quite challenging as she had very low counts during induction chemotherapy. However, she recovered well with appropriate, care and her reassessment revealed that she was cured of ALL and her molecular indices also showed very good clearance of leukemic cells. She is doing well and just on simple oral medications after having about six to eight months of intravenous treatment she is back to her normal routine life.
