5-Year-Old Ranchi Boy With Relapsed High-Risk Leukemia Achieves Remission After Navi Mumbai Bone Marrow Transplant

Navi Mumbai: A five-year-old boy from Ranchi, who was placed on palliative care after relapsing from high-risk leukemia, is now in remission following a haploidentical bone marrow transplant at a Navi Mumbai hospital.

Child Relapsed Despite Multiple Treatment Attempts

The child, diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), had undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy, targeted medicines and radiation at hospitals elsewhere. Despite prolonged treatment, traces of the disease persisted and he subsequently suffered a relapse during maintenance chemotherapy.

His condition was considered difficult to treat, with the child eventually being placed on palliative care. His parents, however, sought further treatment and approached Dr Kunal Goyal, Consultant Haemato-oncologist, BMT and Cellular Therapies (CAR-T), at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.

Targeted Immunotherapy Helped Achieve Remission

At the Navi Mumbai hospital, the child was treated with targeted immunotherapy, which reduced the leukemia to nearly undetectable levels. This enabled doctors to proceed with a haploidentical bone marrow transplant using a half-matched family donor.

The child had initially been diagnosed after his parents noticed bruising on his legs and swelling in his neck. Investigations revealed the high-risk leukemia along with an IKZF1 mutation and monosomy 7, genetic abnormalities associated with poorer outcomes.

Recovery Complicated By Infections And Other Challenges

His recovery following the transplant was complicated by high fever due to his weakened immune system, a severe allergic reaction to a blood transfusion, respiratory distress and gut infections. The complications were managed by the paediatric and haematology transplant teams, following which the child recovered and returned home.

Dr Kunal Goyal said the child's treatment required coordinated care involving the bone marrow transplant and critical care teams.

"When the child came to us, his disease had relapsed and his family had been told there was nothing left to try. Getting him into remission with immunotherapy, and then safely through a haploidentical transplant, took a coordinated effort from our entire multi-speciality team. Seeing him go home healthy is exactly why we do this work," he said.

Dr Shilpa Aroskar, Head of Pediatrics and Neonatology, said childhood leukemia required specialised and coordinated care, particularly when advanced therapies and transplantation were involved.

"Our Paediatric team, working hand-in-hand with the Haematology transplant team, is equipped to take that journey, from advanced therapies like CAR-T to BMT, with one goal - giving every child the best chance at a healthier tomorrow," she said.

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