Bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue present in the thigh, hip bone, skull, ribs, and breastbone. To survive, people need healthy blood cells and bone marrow. Many people with blood cancers like lymphoma and leukemia rely on the bone marrow to live. When a disease affects bone marrow, it can no longer function properly. At that point, a bone marrow transplant could be the right treatment. The bone marrow transplant cost in India varies depending on many factors. In this post, we will read about it in detail.
What is Bone Marrow Transplant?
Bone Marrow Transplant is also known as stem cell transplant. It is a process in which healthy blood-forming stem cells replace your diseased or damaged bone marrow. If your bone marrow stops working and is unable to produce healthy blood cells, you may need BMT. The bone marrow transplant works in two ways- using cells from your own body or a donor.
How bone marrow transplants work
Bone Marrow Transplant takes healthy blood-forming cells from the donor and introduces them into the patient’s body. These cells start to grow in the bloodstream and give rise to healthy cells including, platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. To prepare the body for the transplant, patients receive high doses of chemotherapy. During this time, the stem cells from the donor are collected via a process known as apheresis. This procedure may require a donor to spend one night at the hospital. After the stems are collected, they are sent to the lab for harvesting.
After the initial conditioning, the processed stem cells are delivered into the patient’s body through a tube or an intravenous (IV) catheter.
Types of Bone Marrow Transplant
Autologous BMT
This transplant involves a high dose of chemotherapy with an infusion of the patient’s own collected peripheral blood stem cells. The chemotherapy destroys the cancer cells in the body. Whereas the infusion of peripheral blood stem cells replaces the marrow destroyed by chemotherapy. The Autologous BMT bone marrow transplant cost in India is INR 10,86,000 (15,000 USD). It doesn’t need any donors, and the hospital stay is between 25 – 35 days.
Allogeneic BMT
This type of transplant is available in two forms. One is Full Match (HLA testing >80%), and the other is Half Match (HLA testing <80%). The only difference is in terms of cost. An allogeneic BMT (full match) involves a high dose of radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. It is followed by cord blood, peripheral blood stem cells, or donor bone marrow infusion. All these three should come from an HLA-matched unrelated or related donor. On the other hand, An allogeneic BMT (half match) uses haplotype donors like half-matched siblings, children, or biological parents.
The Full Match (HLA testing >80%) bone marrow transplant cost in India is INR 1,647,288.50 (22,000 USD). The cost of Half Match (HLA testing <80%) is 40,000 USD which is INR 2,995,07.
Depending on the health status and disease, the doctor suggests an allogeneic or autologous transplant.
Factors that Decide the Bone Marrow Transplant Cost in India
The bone marrow transplant cost in India varies for various factors. The basic treatment of Myeloma starts at $15,000 and increases with the complexity. The complete cost of bone marrow transplant depends on several factors such s
- Donor availability
- Hospital stay duration
- Type of transplant
- The hospital you choose (test facilities, infrastructure, surgeon fees, support, etc.)
- Specialist fees
Finding the Best Bone Marrow Transplant Hospital In India
In India, there are more than 200 bone marrow transplant hospitals available. You can find these hospitals in all major cities like Bangalore, Chennai, and New Delhi. Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Nagpur, and Kochi also have bone marrow transplant hospitals with trained doctors and staff for the bone marrow transplant process.
If you are looking for the best hospital along with the bone marrow transplant costs in India, Lyfboat can help. You can get information regarding all accredited hospitals and specialists on this medical advisor placement. We automatically send your query to all our expert doctors’ networks and provide you with the best quotes, hospitals, and specialists. From direct communication and verified quotations to comparing quotes and discounts, Lyfboat can help you in every step of your treatment.
