Mohali: 15-year-old leukemia patient recovers after advanced therapy at Homi Bhabha

The patient, a 15-year-old boy from Haryana, had been diagnosed with very early relapsed b-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (BCP-ALL), a particularly challenging form of blood cancer

Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (HBCH&RC), New Chandigarh, has successfully treated a 15-year-old leukemia patient using advanced chimeric antigen receptor t-cell (CAR-T) therapy. CAR-T therapy is among the most advanced forms of cancer treatment.

Doctors said that it is a highly personalised form of cancer immunotherapy in which a patient’s immune cells are extracted. (HT Photo)

It is a highly personalised form of cancer immunotherapy in which a patient’s immune cells are extracted, genetically modified to identify and attack cancer cells, and then reintroduced into the body.

The patient, a 15-year-old boy from Haryana, had been diagnosed with very early relapsed b-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (BCP-ALL), a particularly challenging form of blood cancer. The disease had returned in his bone marrow within months of starting chemotherapy, prompting specialists at HBCH&RC to recommend CAR-T therapy after a detailed multidisciplinary assessment.

Paediatric oncology consultant, Dr Jasmeet Sidhu, said, “Following a bridging chemotherapy phase to control the disease, the patient underwent leukapheresis — a process in which immune cells are collected from the blood. The cells were then sent for specialised manufacturing. After preparing the patient for treatment, the CAR-T cells were infused. The patient has now been discharged home in good health. This is a moment of immense joy for the entire care team and the patient’s family.”