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She can resume dancing, thanks to stem cell transplant

KOLKATA: Dancing used to be eight-year-old Pramita Aich’s passion till the detection of a deadly disease, neuroblastoma or cancerous tumour, in the adrenal gland in October 2008. She was forced to give up dancing as well as her education.

Pramita, however, is dreaming to resume her dancing lessons within a few months from now — thanks to the successful stem cell transplant she underwent under the aegis of doctors at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute (NSCBCRI) here — a first of its kind for children in eastern India.

“The patient was found to have Stage IV disease when she first came to our institute and was suffering from acute abdominal pain, on-and-off fever and protrusion of eyeballs. Application of chemotherapy reduced only 30 per cent of the disease,” Ashis Mukhopadhyay, NSCBCRI medical director, told reporters here on Thursday.

The idea of performing the stem cell transplant occurred to him when the chemotherapy treatment failed, Dr. Mukhopadhyay said.

“It was the first time in eastern India that such a transplant was being performed on a child,” he said.

Pramita’s bone marrow, which contain stem cells, was collected from her spinal cord. It was successfully transplanted in her body in April 2009. The entire process took two months during which she was kept isolated in a sterilised room with high efficient particulate air (HEPA) filter. “We will do a follow-up on her health for the next six months since she may contract infection during this period and so has to follow some restrictions. But after that she can lead a normal life and can resume her dance lessons without any problem,” Dr. Mukhopadhyay said.

The cost of the treatment was also affordable for Pramita’s father, Prantik Aich, who is a small-time trader.

“The entire transplant cost at our institute is about Rs.5 lakh, much less when compared to the cost of such treatment in cancer-specialist centres like the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai,” Dr. Mukhopadhyay pointed out.

Little Pramita, too eager to get back to her routine, said shyly: “I love to dance and play. Doctor uncle has promised that I can do both now. I am very happy.”

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