Difference between Allogeneic & Autologous Bone Marrow Transplants

Bone Marrow Transplant nowadays is also known as Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation or HSCT in short. Also known as pluripotent stem cells, bone marrow is home to these specialized cells which normally play an important role in replenishing regular blood supply & for maintaining blood counts in healthy hosts. Stem cell transplantation generally refers to a procedure which involves replacing hematopoietic stem cells by new cells which have been harvested by the patient (autologous) or from another donor person (allogeneic) which will eventually grow into healthy hematopoietic system following bone marrow transplant.

Bone Marrow Transplant Types

There are a couple of common bone marrow transplant types which are listed below.

Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation

Predicted on a simple concept that when little chemotherapy can be beneficial then a lot could be even better, autologous BMT is extremely useful in diseases like lymphoma where lower doses are not usually helpful. Autologous BMT involves collection & freezing of the patient’s own stem cells prior to administering higher doses of chemotherapy. Typically, patients undergoing chemotherapy are normally assessed for HSCT at some point of time during treatment. This procedure includes evaluation of bone marrow in order to ensure healthy stem cells alongside adequate functioning of liver, lungs & heart. In case the patient qualifies for autologous BMT, stem cells are usually collected by a procedure known as apheresis & which are then stored for future use on completion of chemotherapy. Main advantage of autologous BMT is that since these stem cells are from the patient’s own body, there is absolutely no danger of graft versus host disease involving graft rejection. However, the immune system of the patient usually takes about 12 months of time to completely recover following autologous BMT.

Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Allogeneic BMT is predicted on the idea that when the immune system of the patient was not able to detect & destroy disease, maybe immune system from a donor which can either be a sibling or an unrelated person mount an immune response to overcome disease. The problem with allogeneic BMT is that while the transplanted donor immune system can recognize disease as foreign, it is also possible that it can recognize normal organs of the host as foreign & mount an attack which is termed Graft Versus Host Disease or GVHD in short. This is why immunosuppressant drugs are given to the allogeneic BMT patient for a considerable period of time. Due to a variety of associated complications allogeneic BMT patients walk a very fine line that is meant to assess individual risks & benefits of this type of stem cell transplant. HLA matching, which is quite different from blood typing, is essentially required to define proper allogeneic BMT donors.  

Bone Marrow Transplant in India is a Money Saving Idea

With a vast network of highly reputed doctors & surgeons & advanced hospital care, medical procedures including bone marrow transplant in India is of world-class standard. Apart from the high international quality of healthcare, bone marrow transplant cost is unbelievably economical & just about a fraction of what it costs in developed western countries. In fact bone marrow transplant cost is one of the main driving factors which brings-in a growing number of overseas patients to India every year.

For getting more details on bone marrow transplant procedure in India, e-mail at: help@indianmedtrip.com 

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Call/Whatsapp: +91-8600855554

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Why India’s Medical Tourism Gets Africa’s Attention?

Now-a-days, global healthcare sector is advancing at a faster pace. ‘Medical Tourism’ refers to the practice of traveling overseas for availing best healthcare treatments & provisions. Massive range of international patients is crossing borders to avail medical facilities in another nation due to the following principal reasons.

• Medical Services - Lack of medical facilities in low to middle-income nations like Africa is one of the greatest factors.
• Expensive Healthcare Treatments - International patients are able to save up to 50 % of their hard-earned money. For instance, cost of a heart valve replacement surgery in western nations like Canada, Australia, United Kingdom or United States is much higher as compared to the prices in India.
• Excellent Quality Treatments - Global patients seeking top-class healthcare provisions at a reasonable rate can choose from a variety of medical tourism destinations.

Main Health Problems Faced by African Countries

According to recent statistics, mortality rate of patients in African countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania & Ghana is increasing due to poor quality of medical care. Major diseases affecting African population are malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis & diarrhea. Studies reveal that malaria accounted for approximately 290, 000 deaths & 790, 000 deaths occurred due to HIV/AIDS in African countries in the year 2016. It is observed that there is only one medical professional available per 1000 patients in Africa. This is the reason why ratio of patients from Africa looking for reliable & economical healthcare treatments in other countries have doubled in past few decades.

Best Benefits of Medical Tourism in India

India is renowned for its beauty & rich cultural heritage. In addition to this, advancement in medical sector has become a feather in the cap of this country. Indian healthcare system offers a wide range of cost-effective treatments to global patients. Patients from low income countries like Africa can highly get benefited from staunch Indian medical facilities. The following list outlines major benefits of availing medical tourism in India.

• Highly Skilled Medical Professionals - Indian doctors & nurses are considered to be finest medical professionals across the globe. Most of the doctors serving in India are well-experienced & immensely talented. They are highly proficient in handling complicated cases.
• World-Class Hospitals - Multi-speciality hospitals & clinics in India offer high-quality medical procedures in areas of cardiovascular surgeries, orthopedic surgeries, plastic surgeries, dental treatments & much more. Majority of Indian hospitals follow international protocols for ensuring patient’s safety.
• Cost-Effective Treatment Packages - Prime medical treatments in India costs only a fraction of total amount that a patient may have to pay in other developed countries. It has been estimated that number of African patients visiting India has increased by 44% in the past two years.
• Easy Medical Visa - Indian tourism ministry has proposed e-visas for overseas patients willing to get medical treatments in India. This remarkable step of Indian government has made it simpler for international patients to avail prompt medical care.
• State-of-The-Art-Technology - Hospitals in India are well-equipped with latest technologies like Gamma knife, IMRT, brain suite, PET scan, IGRT, CyberKnife & much more.
• Alternative Therapies - Indian country also offers holistic healing therapies like yoga, meditation & naturopathy for rejuvenating mind & body of patients.

All these factors make India the best choice for medical tourism. African patients struggling with dreadful diseases can easily access these facilities at best hospitals in India. Patients can also relax in various exquisite tourist destinations in India for a faster recovery & take back pleasant memories after completion of their treatment.

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Tips to Lower Your Cancer Risk

The choices we make each day influences our possibilities of getting cancer. Three factors that we manage have a lot to do with our risk of growing this terrible disease. There are no proven ways to stop cancer, but you can lower your chances of getting it and according to Cancer Research, 4 in 10 cancer cases can be stopped, largely through lifestyle changes. It will support you to lower your risk of cancer if you:

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet

Stories about different foods and diets connected to preventing cancer are often in the news. It is because much research is going on a diet and cancer. Anyhow, it is not easy to study the link between diet and cancer, because there are so many various factors involved, and cancer can take years to grow.

No single food or supplement can stop cancer from growing. Overall, research shows a connection between eating certain groups of foods (rather than any specific food, vitamins or nutrients) and decrease in cancer risk. 

• Maintain a healthy weight

Being overweight or obese can increase your possibility of some cancers, like:

• Bowel cancers
• Pancreatic cancers
• Oesophageal cancers
• Breast cancers, if you are a woman who has gone through the menopause
• Cancer of the womb (uterus)
• Kidney cancer

Being a healthy weight can lower your risk of growing cancer. You can find out whether your weight is healthy by using the BMI healthy weight calculator.

• Stay physically active

It is evident that being physically active can lower your risk of bowel and breast cancer, and also endometrial. It is not known exactly how physical activity decreases the risk of these cancers, but research reveals that regular exercise helps you to keep your hormone levels healthy. Having high levels of some hormones can raise your cancer risk.

Physical activity also assists you to maintain a healthy weight, which in turn lowers the risk of cancer.

• Drink less liquor

Drinking liquor is known to increase your risk of some cancers, including:

• mouth cancer
• larynx and pharynx cancer
• oesophageal cancer
• colorectal cancer in men
• breast cancers

It is probably a cause of other cancer as well, like colorectal cancer screening in women and liver cancer.

• Stop smoking

Lung cancer is answerable for around a quarter of cancer deaths, and 90% of lung cancer treatment cases are related to smoking.

Stopping smoking greatly cuts the possibility of growing cancer. The earlier you stop, the greater the impact. Anyhow, it is never too late to quit. People who quit smoking at 30 living nearly as long as a non-smoker and those who quit at the age of 50 can still undo half the injury.

• Protection of skin from Sun injury

Take care in the sun so that you do not get burned is vital for eradicating skin cancer.

• Spend few time in the shade between 11 am and 3 pm.
• Make sure you never burn up.
• Cover yourself with a T-shirt, hat, and sunglasses
• Take care not to let children get burned.
• Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.

Keep an eye on any freckles or moles you have. If they change at all, see your GP, as this can be an early sign of cancer. The earlier skin cancer is caught, killer it is to treat, so see your GP as soon as possible.

We require sunlight on our skin so that our bodies can make vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones.

Cost of Cancer Treatment

India is known to be the center of successful cancer treatments done across the globe. All the major surgeries related to cancer are performed by the top oncologists in India. Low-cost and high standards of medical health care services in India are attracting people from diverse and remote corners of the world.

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Into the Brain Through the Nostrils: Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Pituitary Tumor Surgery

Transsphenoidal pituitary tumor surgery is also called as Endoscopic pituitary surgery or an Endonasal endoscopic surgery. In this surgery, the nostrils are used as the main source to remove the pituitary tumor (adenomas) from the pituitary gland and the skull base. It is a simple surgery performed by two surgeons (Neurosurgeon and ENT surgeon) in which the tumor is completely removed with the help of a device called endoscope. It is vital to remove the pituitary tumor as they lead to hormone problems and loss of vision. The removal of this tumor will make an alteration in the vision problems and balance the hormone levels.

About Transsphenoidal Surgery

Transsphenoidal surgery is performed through the nose via sphenoid sinus to remove the pituitary tumor (adenomas). Two medical experts with their team of specialists conduct it with the help of using a high-definition device called endoscope. It is a simple technique in which a small cut is made at the back of nasal cavity which leads to slight disturbance of the nasal tissues. Small openings are made in the nasal septum, sphenoid sinus, and sella to reach the pituitary tumor. When the tumor is visible, it is removed by the neurosurgeon.

Who is the right candidate for this surgery?

You may be the right individual for this surgery only if you are diagnosed withany one of the following tumors:

• Pituitary adenoma
• Craniopharyngioma
• Meningioma
• Chordoma
• Rathke’s cleft cyst

Recovery And Prevention of Transsphenoidal Surgery

You will have to fix an appointment with your ENT surgeon 1 week after surgery to check the surgical site and also to take off the nasal splints. You will be under the observation of ENT surgeon for 3 weeks till the nasal cavities are completely healed. Usually, 2 to 4 visits will be required.

Small crusts will be formed inside the nose leading to nasal congestion. The ENT physician will spray the nose to give a local anesthesia to the nasal cavities so that the crusts can be removed easily. The patient will be given a nasal saline rinse to use for 4 weeks after the surgery as it will reduce the need to remove the crusts and speed up the nasal healing.

You will also need to fix an appointment with your neurosurgeon to have an endocrine check up for 2 to 4 weeks following the surgery.

Risks Involved in Transsphenoidal Surgery

Every surgery involves risks in it. Some of the risks and complications involved in this surgery are as follows:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Blood clots
• Reactions to anesthesia
• Loss of vision
• Damage to normal pituitary gland
• Diabetes Insipidus
• Cerebrospinal fluid leak
• Meningitis
• Sinus congestion
• Nasal deformity
• Nasal bleeding stroke

Outcomes of Transsphenoidal Surgery

If your tumor is secreting a hormone, the endocrinologist will check your hormone levels after surgery to decide whether you are cured or not.Some of the pituitary tumors will stay incurable due to the seizure of large sinuses and other vital structures. Radiosurgery is used to treat those tumors which are unable to be removed through surgery. Since it is quite difficult to predict when a tumor may re-occur, continuous monitoring with MRI scans is needed to watch for any changes or re-growth.

Cost of Transsphenoidal Surgery

India is one of the leading destinations in the field of medical tourism. Pituitary tumor treatment in India is performed by well-trained expert surgeons of India. Pituitary tumor surgery cost is found to be cost-effective and affordable in India. Be comfortable, stay relaxed and make your treatment in India, a healing experience.

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