Leukemia is often considered to be the deadliest among the forms of cancerous diseases and unfortunately, it is commonly diagnosed among children. In 2024, over 1,80,000 people are estimated to be diagnosed with leukemia in the USA alone. If we add the reported cases from other countries, the number can become quite horrifying. However, the 5-year-survival-rate for leukemia has improved significantly in the last couple of decades. The credit goes to recent advancements in hematology and innovative cancer therapies. Are you looking for blood cancer-related treatment opportunities in different countries? India ranks right at the top with its many effective and highly affordable cancer treatment facilities.
This article discusses the innovative therapies you can expect in some of the best hematology hospitals in India.
What is hematology?
Hematology is a field of study in medicine which deals with blood, its components, and different blood-related diseases and disorders. For example, if any person is suffering from chronic anemia, a physician may ask them to consult a hematologist. Leukemia and other types of blood cancer also come under the purview of hematology. In fact, recent research advances in hematology have made effective treatment of various types of blood cancer possible.
Advances in hematology and treatment of blood cancer
The study of hematology has significantly advanced the diagnosis, classification, and genetic mutation of cancerous cells, especially for blood-related cancers. Some of the key areas of advancement are:
- Understanding the process of genetic mutation of blood cells and tissues once they are cancerous or have the potential for cancerous growth. This knowledge helps cancer researchers and oncologists to make an accurate prognosis of cancerous diseases, especially blood cancers.
- Accurate classification of types and subtypes of cancerous cells based on genetic profiling, flow cytometry, and specialized diagnostic blood tests. This has helped oncologists to develop personalized treatments and medicinal interventions for patients.
- Invention of new cancer drugs for targeted destruction of cancerous and potentially cancerous cells without affecting regular healthy organ tissues. Some examples of such drugs are 2-phenylamino-pyrimidine-based ‘imatinib’ and monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody-based medications.
- Transplantation of bone marrow for maintaining the body’s capability to generate fresh and healthy blood cells. Oncologists often hesitate to use chemotherapy drugs in high dosages to avoid damage to bone marrow cells. Innovation in bone marrow transplantation techniques has helped overcome such problems associated with cancer treatments.
Such hematologic understanding of cancer diseases have not only helped devise effective treatment strategies but have also improved post-treatment therapies so that cancer patients successfully return to their regular lifestyle once they recover.
As a destination for world-class medical treatments, many of the best hematology hospitals in India offer the highest quality of advanced cancer treatments and personalized cancer therapies. The cost of the treatments are also a lot more affordable compared to global standards.
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Modern therapies at the best hematology hospitals in India
Let us understand a few of the hematology-based personalized therapies and treatment strategies the best hematology hospitals in India offer.
B-cell based immunotherapy
Hematologic research findings have helped medical researchers to innovate drugs like ‘imatinib’ and ‘rituximab’ that help improve treatment outcomes significantly for chronic myelogenous leukemia.
CAR T-Cell Therapy
Chimeric Antigen Receptor or CAR T cell therapy is one of the different varieties of immunotherapies practiced in oncology. In this therapy, geneticists modify T lymphocytes in patients’ blood to produce Chimeric Antigen Receptors. These receptors can precisely detect proteins on cancerous cells and bind onto them for targeted killing of cancer-affected cells and tissues. Many of the best hematology hospitals in India regularly perform this therapy on early-stage cancer patients.
Monoclonal Antibodies and Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs)
Some of the examples of monoclonal antibody medications are rituximab and daratumumab. Unlike CAR in T Cell therapy, ADCs are artificial antibodies designed and produced in a lab environment. They can bind to cancer cells for targeted destruction by the body’s natural immune system.
Bone marrow and stem cell transplantation
Based on the stages of the cancer growth, patients often require high-intensity chemotherapy interventions. Despite innovations in targeted therapies, application in high dosage may affect healthy blood cells and marrow cells. The best hematology surgeons in India at top hospitals are well-reputed for bone marrow and stem cell transplantations. Besides, transplantation-related hematology surgery costs in India are highly affordable for international patients from any part of the world.
Other targeted therapies that many of the best hematology hospitals in India perform for cancer patients at different stages of disease growth are radioimmunotherapy, epigenetic therapy, BiTEs-based treatment strategies, and therapies based on targeting cancer cells’ signal pathways.
Bottomline
Medical research-based hematologic knowledge is opening up new fields of cancer treatments with each passing day. The best hematology hospitals in India are known for making world-class treatment available to local and international patients at affordable costs, as they are connected with a global network of cancer researchers and research labs bringing forth innovative and highly effective treatment alternatives.
