Latest news with #AcuteMyeloidLeukemia
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
India's Prime Age Faces Growing Threat of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
New Delhi: At 40, many envision a peak career phase, supporting families and shaping futures. But for a growing number of Indians, this milestone is being marred by an unexpected adversary — Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), an aggressive and fast-progressing form of blood cancer traditionally associated with older adults. Each year, the city reports at least 3,000 cases of AML, with doctors observing a worrying increase in diagnoses among individuals aged 30 to 40. The troubling shift in younger populations creates a complex interplay of clinical, financial, and psychosocial challenges. To explore this rise, Rashmi Mabiyan Kaur from ETHealthworld spoke to Dr. Ranjit Sahoo, Additional Professor, Medical Oncology, AIIMS, and Dr. Dharma Chaudhary, Vice Chairman – Haemato Oncology & BMT, BLK Super Speciality Hospital. AML originates in the bone marrow and rapidly crowds out healthy blood cells. While it has long been considered a disease of the elderly in the West, in India, a significant portion of AML patients are in their 30s and 40s — a working, earning demographic. 'This is a stem cell disease. The only cure remains a stem cell transplant,' said Dr. Chaudhary. 'If we just give chemotherapy without planning for a transplant or adequate diagnostics, patients will relapse.' This younger age group, though potentially more curable, faces hurdles such as delayed diagnosis, rapid disease progression, and a healthcare system unprepared for aggressive early intervention. Younger patients with AML, if diagnosed early, can be cured in up to 60 per cent of cases, according to Dr. Sahoo. 'Just by age, not even accounting for genomics, pediatric and young adult AML patients have a higher curability,' he emphasized. 'But we're often seeing them too late, wherein they are already infected or in poor general condition that reduces their odds significantly.' Timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial. Standard care involves induction chemotherapy followed by consolidation therapy and, in high-risk cases, a bone marrow transplant (BMT). Genetic profiling now enables doctors to determine whether chemotherapy alone is sufficient or if BMT is necessary. However, India's fragmented healthcare infrastructure means that not all patients get access to advanced diagnostics, proper chemotherapy regimens, or transplant centers — a combination vital for long-term remission. In India, the financial toxicity of AML treatment is staggering. As Dr. Chaudhary explained, the total cost from diagnosis to transplant ranges between ₹20 to ₹30 lakh in private settings. Government hospitals provide treatment between ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh — but have limited capacity and long waiting lists. Compounding the crisis is the lack of adequate insurance coverage. Most commercial policies provide limited payouts, often exhausted during the first cycle of chemotherapy. 'Patients either need to be self-funded or covered under government schemes like CGHS or ESI,' Dr. Sahoo noted. Experts stated that middle-class patients fall through the cracks. They often abandon treatment midway, not because it isn't working, but because it is unaffordable. AML is curable, especially in India's young but only if caught and treated in time. 'Every 40-year-old with AML is curable on paper,' Dr. Sahoo asserted. Beyond biology and bank accounts, AML in younger individuals poses stark social repercussions. At 40, many are sole breadwinners. A sudden diagnosis of AML means job loss, financial ruin, and emotional breakdown of the entire household. Moreover, the urgency of care needed, from rapid transfusions to complex therapies, requires family, community, and logistical support that is hard to marshal in the Indian context. Platelet donations, for instance, must be arranged quickly and repeatedly. As India battles a rising tide of non-communicable diseases, AML among younger adults demands urgent attention. It's not just a clinical challenge — it's a call for systemic reform, financial inclusion, and compassionate care, urged the experts. For now, hope rests on early diagnosis, integrated care, and stronger policy support because behind every AML diagnosis in a young adult is not just a patient, but a family, a future, and a life waiting to be saved. The experts were speaking at the AML awareness session organized by AbbVie India.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Acute Myeloid Leukemia striking more Indians in their 30s and 40s
New Delhi: Delhi, which records nearly 3,000 AML cases annually, is witnessing a troubling trend: a rise in diagnoses among individuals in their 30s and 40s. Yet, only 30 per cent of diagnosed patients receive definitive treatment, primarily due to prohibitive costs and inadequate insurance coverage. Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), an aggressive and fast-progressing blood cancer, is emerging as a silent but deadly public health emergency in the capital. Experts highlighted significant gaps in timely diagnosis and treatment during the awareness session. Characterized by rapid progression and vague early symptoms—often mistaken for fatigue or infection—AML can become life-threatening within weeks if left untreated. Despite global advances in diagnostics and targeted therapies, India continues to lag behind due to low awareness, diagnostic delays, and the high cost of treatment. 'We lose critical time because AML is detected late in our country. It often masquerades as fatigue or infection. By the time the right tests are done, the disease has progressed, and treatment options are limited,' said Dr. Ranjit Sahoo, Additional Professor, Medical Oncology, AIIMS. 'AML can be picked up through a simple blood test, but treatment is available only at tertiary care centers, and the associated costs remain high.' While conventional chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for AML, it is often poorly tolerated, especially among older patients. Promising new targeted therapies, which act on specific genetic mutations driving AML, are transforming the global treatment landscape with better remission rates and fewer side effects. 'Public hospitals in Delhi lack standardized diagnostic workflows for AML,' noted Dr. Dharma Chaudhary, Vice Chairman – Haemato-Oncology & BMT, BLK Super Speciality Hospital. 'Even though Delhi has some of the best hospitals, we don't have a cohesive care model for AML. A patient's outcome depends largely on which hospital they go to, whether they have insurance, and how early they are referred to a tertiary center.' These advancements remain largely out of reach for most Indian patients. Access to molecular diagnostics and targeted therapies is limited to private, urban hospitals, and the high cost of these treatments puts them beyond the reach of the majority. Crucially, these therapies are not yet covered under India's public insurance schemes or listed in the National Cancer Drug Registry. To address these systemic challenges, experts emphasised the need to recognize AML as a national public health priority, improve diagnostic access in public and tertiary hospitals, include AML drugs in the National Cancer Drug Registry, and reform insurance coverage to reduce the financial burden on patients. 'Strategic interventions now can save lives,' said one panelist. 'AML may be rare, but its impact is devastating. Early detection, insurance reforms, and access to innovation must go hand in hand if we are to reverse the tide,' urged the experts.
Hans India
22-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
AML in India: A Race Against Time for Diagnosis, Access, and Reform
Bengaluru: As India continues to strengthen its cancer care ecosystem, attention is now turning toward lesser-known but highly aggressive diseases that often go undetected until its too late. One such condition is Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)a rare, fast-progressing form of blood cancer that can rapidly become life-threatening without timely diagnosis and treatment. For many patients, the onset is silent, the symptoms vague, and the window for intervention tragically narrow. Despite global strides in targeted therapies and diagnostics, India still faces major challenges in awareness, access, and affordability. With cases gradually rising, experts are calling for AML to be recognized as a national health priority to prevent avoidable loss of life. As part of a series of nationwide engagements, AbbVie Healthcare hosted a city-level awareness discussion on AML in Bengaluru, bringing together oncologists, to discuss the critical gaps and provided city-specific insights into the current AML landscape. Dr. Sharat Damodar, Chief of Hematology and Transplant Services,Mazumdar Shaw Medical Cente, Anekal, and Narayana Multispeciality Hospital said,With a growing urban population and improved cancer registries, there has been overall increase of 1-2% in all cancers including blood cancers like AML, particularly among patients aged 40 and above. However, less than 20% of AML patients here undergo molecular testing, often due to cost barriers and lack of insurance coverage for diagnostics. The discussion underscored a pressing need for better integration of advanced diagnostics in government hospitals. AML is not just a rare disease, its a rapidly fatal one if not caught early. In India, we often encounter patients at advanced stages due to lack of awareness, limited access to diagnostics, and the high cost of advanced treatments. Precision medicine has transformed the global AML landscape. With targeted therapies, we are seeing improved survival rates. But for Indian patients, these breakthroughs are inaccessible unless we implement the right policy and healthcare reforms said Dr. Prasad Narayanan, Senior Consultant and Director - Medical Oncology, Hemato Oncology and BMT at Cytecare Cancer Hospitals
New Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
60% cancer patients need psychological support for emotional distress: Doctors
BENGALURU: As many as 60% of cancer patients suffer from severe emotional distress and need professional psychological support, experts highlighted at a round table discussion on psycho-oncology on Wednesday. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the government is open to exploring ways to integrate psychosocial support into government hospitals, despite cancer treatment falling under the purview of the medical education department. The round table -- Integrating Psychosocial Care into Mainstream Cancer Management -- was organised by Healthcare Global Enterprises Ltd (HCG) and the Centre of Psycho-oncology for Education and Research (COPER). Doctors and psychologists emphasised that cancer care must go beyond just physical treatment to include structured emotional and psychological support. Dr Brindha Sitaram, Group Director of Psycho-oncology Services at HCG and Founder-Director of COPER, said 52% of cancer patients in India suffer from moderate to severe psychological distress, while 40% face mild emotional distress. She also said cancer patients are four times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, and that cancer-related suicides in India have increased by 50% between 1997 and 2020. The minister said psycho-social care plays a crucial role in helping patients and their families cope with the disease, improving communication with doctors and eventually contributing to better treatment outcomes. Sharing a personal experience, he said his father had died of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) when he was 22, and he had seen firsthand the emotional toll the disease takes. He stressed that every hospital should have at least one clinical psychologist. Health experts proposed that emotional wellbeing be recognised as the 'sixth vital sign' in cancer care, in addition to heart rate, respiration, temperature, blood pressure and pain. They called for regular screening for distress, immediate intervention and mandatory training of doctors and care providers to identify psychological needs.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Davenport Teen battling cancer receives 'Man Cave' bedroom makeover
Owen Dangelser from Davenport is a teen who likes to be active and ride his skateboard. He likes music and playing video games. When he was 12, he started to experience pain in his neck and arm. His mother took him to the emergency department where he was told he had a broken arm. After that he visited an orthopedic specialist who said that the arm was not broken. As his pain got worse Owen's mom took him to the ER even more times and he kept getting turned away. One morning Owen could no longer lift his arms. He was taken to the Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, to have an MRI. He then went in for emergency surgery and doctors found a cancerous tumor. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Doctors removed as much of the tumor as they could and started treating Owen with chemotherapy. Owen was sick at times but kept a positive attitude throughout his treatment and was ready to get back to normal. Eventually he was considered to be in remission. Because of his surgery, however, he was no longer able to play contact sports, which was harsh news. But he kept his positive attitude. Three years later, Owen began to lose weight and was pale and sick. A pediatrician diagnosed him with mononucleosis ('mono.') A month later Owen was still sick – he threw up every day. He went back to the pediatrician, and the doctor felt a supraclavicular lymph node. After an X-ray and blood work, Owen went back to an oncologist at the children's hospital. He then received a diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which was caused by one of Owen's chemotherapy medications. Since then, Owen has been an inpatient receiving blood products and more chemo. He recently turned 16 years old in the hospital and finally returned home for the first time in around three months on Tuesday. He came home to a surprise: Thanks to My Happy Place, a non-profit that creates spaces for people with serious health diagnosis, Owen has a brand-new room with all a teen could ask for. Owen told Our Quad Cities News that he is thankful for the new room and glad to be back home for a week before he has to go back to the hospital to resume treatment. His mom, Melissa Dangelser, says her son is the reason she stays strong. 'I've been pretty emotional especially when he first got diagnosed and he's so strong and he doesn't allow me to be weak or sad,' she said. 'He says, 'Mom, you have to be tough.' He says, 'I'm gonna beat it'.' Owen will eventually need a bone-marrow transplant. For now, he is focusing on feeling better in the moment. Over his week home he will enjoy his new room and the company of friends and family. To learn more about My Happy Place click here. Owen's profile on My Happy Place Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
