What is Bone Marrow Transplant?

Bone marrow may get damaged because of infection, disease or chemotherapy. To replace this bone marrow, new stem cells are transplanted. These new stem cells produce blood cells and help in promoting growth of new marrow. This process comprises bone marrow transplant.

Why is Bone Marrow Transplant Required?

Damaged/infected/unhealthy bone marrow is the main cause for bone marrow transplant. Chronic infection could be the reason for weak bone marrow. Chemotherapy (treatment process for cancer) can also destroy healthy bone marrow cells. 

Below mentioned factors can lead and need of bone marrow transplant.

Leukemia

It is a bone marrow or blood-forming tissue cancer. Leukemia patients produce abnormal amounts of blood cells, typically white blood cells.

Anaemia aplastic

A disease in which the bone marrow stops producing new blood cells. 

a number of myeloma 

Plasma cell cancer affects these vital immune system components. Since bone marrow contains these cells, a bone marrow transplant may be an option for treating multiple myeloma.

Lymphoma 

It is lymphatic system cancer. It is precisely a form of white blood cell called a lymphocyte cancer. Since bone marrow is where these white blood cells are produced, lymphoma can be treated with a bone marrow transplant.

Congenital refers to a condition that has existed from birth. A condition known as congenital neutropenia causes recurrent infections.

Chemotherapy 

Cancerous cells are the focus of this cancer treatment. Chemotherapy medications taken in high dosages can harm the bone marrow's capacity to create new blood cells.

Thalassemia 

Blood condition caused by an inherited gene where the body produces an aberrant kind of haemoglobin. Each and every cell in the body receives oxygen thanks to haemoglobin, a vital component of blood.

Aplastic anaemia

type of anaemia that develops as a result of irregular red blood cell morphology. Because these red blood cells carry less oxygen, patients soon grow exhausted. Bone marrow transplantation is a possibility for treating sickle cell anaemia.

Recurrent exposure to radiation

Radiation therapy is often a choice of treatment for patients who are cancer patients. Though it is beneficial for the patient, radiation therapy comes with some side effects, Chronic exposure to radiation may lead to damage to the bone marrow. This is one of the indications for bone marrow transplant. 

In the above mentioned conditions one need to consult with doctor, and might undergo for a bone marrow transplant, which is an extensive and complex surgical procedure and requires intensive planning.

Cost in Top Cities

Cities Cost in INR

Delhi 1586530 to 2000000

Ahmedabad 1200000 1708000

Bangalore 1545000 2000000

Mumbai 1600000 2200000

Pune 1500000 2100000

For your reference, below we have discussed the cost of bone marrow transplants in India.  Here is an estimated bone marrow transplantation cost in India on the basis of its types. (depending on the recommendation of your consulting oncologist

Types of BMT Cost in INR In India

Autologous Bone marrow transplant ₹14,00,000 - ₹16,00,000

Allogeneic Bone marrow transplant ₹22,00,000 - ₹28,00,000

Haplo-Allogeneic Bone marrow transplant ₹30,00,000 - ₹35,00,000

The cost might vary for bone marrow transplants in India based on several factors as mentioned below:

Autologous Bone marrow transplant:

This kind of transplant makes use of your personal bone marrow.

Autologous transplants are less expensive than allogeneic ones.

Transplantation of allogeneic bone marrow:

For this kind of transplant, bone marrow from a donor with 10/10 HLA compatibility (ideally a sibling) is used.

Allogeneic is more expensive because there, you must pay for both yourself and your donor when it comes to testing, facilities, lab work, etc.

When bone marrow from a donor (your children, parents, or brother) is utilized in a haplo-allogeneic (haploidentical) bone marrow transplant, the donor has a partial HLA match to the patient.

Haplo-Allogeneic transplants have considerably greater costs because they require more tests and are much more hard to perform.

A bone marrow transplant replaces the body's lost or damaged blood cells with fresh, healthy ones. A stem cell transplant is another name for this medical procedure. For some malignancies, such as leukaemia, multiple myeloma, and some kinds of lymphoma, bone marrow transplantation is an option in India. For one cycle, a stem cell transplant in India costs roughly INR 1,49,000 (USD 2,000).

Pre-operative Preparation

Before a bone marrow transplant, the doctor will give you a series of tests to complete in order to find out what kind of bone marrow cells you need. Before starting a bone marrow transplant operation, a doctor may advise you to undergo a few rounds of chemotherapy or radiation therapy to eradicate all malignant cells. This is known as conditioning regimen.

Here is a list of few tests that are conducted prior to bone marrow transplant procedure to avoid any potential chance of infection.

Chest X-ray

CT Scan (Computed Tomography Scan)

CBC (Complete Blood Count)

Bone marrow biopsy

Evaluating health condition of skeletal structure

Pulmonary function tests

Tests such as electrocardiogram and echocardiogram that help in evaluating heart condition

Post Bone Marrow Transplant Costs:

Monitoring and requirements

Medications cost There will be many expensive medicines prescribed to you after the transplant.

Any additional service availed Any extended hospital stay and use of services

Other consultation Any other consultation with your doctor and other consultations.

Complications management and unanticipated care The cost of monitoring and treatment for complications management and unanticipated care is separate from the transplant cost.

Complications and Risks

The process of a bone marrow transplant is not without hazards and problems. However, they are treatable with the right drugs and therapies. 

Following a bone marrow transplant, common risks and consequences include:

Infection

A stem cell transplant may not succeed.

A new form of cancer might develop.

Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) can cause organ damage in recipients of allogeneic transplants.

Infertility

Cataract

In extremely rare circumstances, a bone marrow transplant could be lethal. This occurs if the transplanted stem cells are not even marginally received favorably by the body.

In summary, bone marrow transplantation can be a very successful procedure for treating blood cancer and other blood-related diseases.