I like register my self as a bone marrow donor

I think, everyone related to a blood cancer patient asks this question, How can I register myself as a marrow donor?


Bone Marrow Transplant is the only effective curable treatment of Blood Cancer/ A-plastic anemia/ thalassemia.


Question: Can I become a donor?
Answer: You should be in good health and between 18 to 60 years of age. according to Dr.Beju George (CMC, Vellore), even if you suffering from hypertension or Sugar(Diabetes) you can become a donor provided your health is stable and disease is in controlled state.


Question: Whom to contact to become a stem cell donor?
Answer: I found this information of facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/groups/122781516547/)


According to its active member :  if you are in Mumbai you can register yourself free of cost with MARROW DONOR REGISTRY INDIA. We have collection centres at TATA HOSPITAL, PAREL, RAHEJA HOSPITAL, DR SUNIL PAREKH'S CLINIC,OPERA HOUSE. MDRI CONTACT NOs: 65152695, 9223586076.




If you are in PUNE then Firdosh is working on registry as well
you can contact him here: http://www.cellsource.in/donor_registration.asp


I'll keep update this article in future, for the meantime if you have any query or need any help, drop an email : shashank.chaturvedi@gmail.com

Buccal Swabs for HLA Test

Following is reply from Nezih Cereb from Histogentics, as per my knowledge, we still do not have any lab providing complete high resolution DNA typing. Datri (http://www.datriworld.org) is closely working with them. CMC vellore, TATA (mumbai) all sends blood samples to Histogenetic for DNA test.

Q: How can we send our sample(buccal swabs) to your lab in US from India?

You can get in touch with Mr.Raghu Rajagopal, CEO of DATRI, @ +91 98 40218667 

 He can direct and guide about the sample collection and shipment

Q: What are the charges for the high resolution test?

Histogenetic : Special India pricing is $200/sample

Rs.10000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand only) for A,B,C,DRB1,DQB1 high resolution. The payment should be made before sending samples to our lab. Please mail the check/dd to our Chennai office address as below.

            Histogenetics India Pvt. Ltd.

            #309-316, Ticel Bio Park

            Taramani Road, Taramani,

            Chennai – 600 113.

The check/dd should be in favour of  Dr. Nezih Vahid Cereb

Q: How much time does it takes to get the reports?

5 business days after receiving the sample at the lab

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Nezih Cereb, MD

President

Histogeneitcs

nezih@histogenetics.com

Ayurvedic treatment after Chemo

I think Ayurvedic treatment should be a must once you achieve remission.(after all the cycles of chemotherapy) 
Siddhartha Mukherjee's award winning book  "The Emperor of all Maladies"  also shed some light on importance of Ayurvedic treament for cancer.


But the problem is whom to trust.. I spoke/met few center,
one of them is "Cancer Healer" in New Friends colony, New Delhi. 
Personally i feel its a fake center ..Rs5000 for 3 or 7 day medicines-No BILL, Center is not registered either. don't know how these kind of centers are running. 
So avoid spending too much on these kind of centers

Apart from them we took treatment from a center in Indore http://www.cowurine.com/index-2.html - treatment based on COW URINE

(Jain's Cow Urine Therapy Health Clinic) and baba ramdev's etc too.

I only place where i felt some confidence is in dehradun. We spoke to them they charge Rs80 for a week medicine, and only treat patients who are in remission. A must for AML M7 cancer patients.http://www.padaav.com/aboutus.html
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/Cancer-and-the-science-of-alternative-therapies-/articleshow/37754095.cms

FOODS AND HERBS TO KEEP SUGAR IN CHECK

A good article found on http://www.1uponcancer.com/2011/05/09/3151/

"How does blood sugar tie in to cancer?

You eat something and it turns to blood glucose (sugar). Insulin carries the glucose from your blood into your tissue where it fuels your body. If you become insulin resistant, which can happen with diabetes, if you are overweight, or eat a lot of refined sugar and refined carbs, the glucose stays in the blood. Avoid refined carbs and refined sugar and you up your chance of beating breast and colon cancers, in particular, according to Keith Block, MD, who treats cancer patients and wrote a book called Life Over Cancer.

Among dozens of studies Dr. Block cites to plug for a low-sugar, low-refined carb diet are one where breast cancers survivors in remission with the lowest insulin levels were half as likely to have recurrence and one third as likely to develop metastases as women with higher levels (higher levels are prompted by high blood glucose). Cancer cells in general consume more glucose than healthy cells, and studies suggest controlling blood sugar and consequently controlling glucose can affect outcomes. [Journal of Bioenergetics & & Biomembranes 1997; 29 (4)].

Block and oncologists who plug the power of diet make these recommendations:

 Chose a whole food diet.

Eat a lot of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and other green leafy vegetables.

Replace refined carbs like white potatoes with sweet potatoes and trade white bread for whole grain bread.

Other good alternative carbs are brown rice, buckwheat, wild rice, whole wheat pasta, and barley.

Avoid high-fructose corn syrup; it’s a natural sweetener in foods like cereal bars, spaghetti sauces, yogurts, and could be in about anything that would have sugar.

Avoid fat-free and low-fat foods; the fat is often replaced with sugar.

Adding herbs to the mix

If you’re interested in herbs, the American Association of Integrative Medicine recommends these products, all found in studies to lower blood glucose. 

• Aloe Vera
• Bitter melon -- also know as karela in INDIA 
• Cinnamon bark also know as "karuvapatta" or "KARIPATTA"
• Ginger - ADRAK in india
• Holy basil (hot basil) -- TULSI in india

.

Bone Marrow biopsy

Well we had bone marrow biopsy at the time of diagnose of the disease.
Doctors usually do two more bone marrow biopsy at the time of Induction Chemotherapy (First round of Chemo), this will be done on Day 14 and Day 28 (usually depends upon when is the blood counts improved)

The biopsy will be same procedure, but this time it will be done in the room itself done by a Senior Resident doctor (AIIMS) only .

You'll be needed 11G needle in both the cases, which might cost you Rs850 each time.

Question: Why a bone marrow biopsy on day 14?
Ans: Probably your doctor will explain this to you, usually we do this test to confirm that the counts are decreasing and the chemotherapy is working correctly.

Question: Why on day 28?
Ans: This is going to be very very important test, this will tell doctors whether cancer is in controlled state or not, we term it as Remission.

Question: What if Cancer is not in remission after Induction Chemotherapy?
Ans: Well don't panic, consult with your doctors, we have around 3 stages of chemotherapy. It can be bring down to remission next time if it is not this time.

Question: Cancer is in remission now!!! what next?
Ans: Once the cancer is in remission, doctors will give you another 3 rounds of chemotherapy.
High dose of Cytrabine usually. In my father case they gave 2 rounds of high dose of Cytrabine chemotherapy
considering his age factor.

Question: 2 rounds of chemotherapy is better or 3/4 rounds of chemotherapy?
Ans: Let the doctors decide this. You can always go for a second opinion (recommended).

A more on Bone Marrow Biopsy

How is the Weather Outside?

The hardest part of this treatment is that you have to stay in a hospital for almost 4 months. Isolated with outside world. The depression is the biggest problem we have to face this time.

Hard antibiotics + blood checkups + and same faces.. this could result into a depression.

I personally think Doctors and Nurses plays a major role here. I remember my father eagerly waits for Dr. Narender (SR Hematology) every morning, His calming smile and small talks always gives a confidence to my father that every thing going to be just fine.

 During my stay at AIIMS, we stayed at Second Floor, Third Floor and Fifth floor of Old Private Ward, and Third Floor of New Private Ward.

Books + TV + Movies + Video Games + Music + Talks , they all could be used to avoid depression. Take this time as holiday you spending your loved once.

"A smile on your face could be their reason to fight against Cancer"

Antibiotic & Anti-Fungal Medicines during chemotherapy

Assuming you are in day 8-10

by this time blood counts are started decreasing, doctors are keeping track of blood counts, kidney and liver function by doing test on MONDAY, WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY (Aiims schedule)

Doctors might start antibiotics if patient had small fever or infection.
>VFend is the most common drug which i observed.
Price: Depends upon dosage mg.

As per my knowledge the 50mg - 10 tablets cost you around Rs13000-Rs14500

Please try to negotiate its price.

2> Meropenam -  AstraZeneca with the brand names Merrem and Meronem








Lots of Indian companies are also coming up with their brands, most common is INTAS
Please consult your doctor before buying 


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Updated Price of Voriconazole ( 6th November 2011 ) :
Realized lots of indian brands came up with Variconazole..


Voritek- CIPLA is available for approx  Rs1600+(MRP: Rs2800)  for 4 tablets
Voritrop-Intas is available for as low as Rs1100 (4tabs)
Tazarotene - Ranbaxy and Zydus Cadial also came up with medicine under Rs2000