NEW DELHI: At least 3,000 cases of acute myeloid leukaemia-an aggressive blood cancer-are reported in the city each year, with medical professionals noting a concerning rise in diagnoses among people aged between 30 and 40 years. This cancer variant presents a significant healthcare challenge that requires immediate attention, say medical experts.
Statistics indicate only 30% of diagnosed individuals complete their treatment course, primarily due to financial constraints and inadequate insurance coverage. Oncologists shared these findings during an awareness programme on Tuesday, highlighting significant gaps in diagnosis and treatment protocols.Acute myeloid leukaemia, characterised by non-specific symptoms, develops rapidly and can become life-threatening without early intervention. Despite international progress in diagnostics and targeted treatments, India faces challenges with awareness levels, treatment accessibility, and cost factors. Healthcare experts emphasise the necessity to designate this cancer as a national health priority to reduce mortality rates.“We lose critical time because acute myeloid leukaemia is detected late in our country and often masquerades as fatigue or infection. By the time the right tests are done, the disease often progresses to a stage where treatment options are limited or less effective. Acute leukaemia can be detected by a simple blood test. However, the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia is carried out at tertiary centres, and the cost of supportive treatment is high,” said Dr Ranjit Kumar Sahoo, additional professor in medical oncology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences.Specialists indicate increased risk amongst individuals previously exposed to radiation or chemotherapy in India. A considerable number of patients who received earlier cancer treatments may develop acute myeloid leukaemia as a secondary malignancy.Its patients are categorised as fit or unfit for standard chemotherapy. Unfit patients include elderly individuals or younger patients with severe infections, organ dysfunction, or septicemia. Fit patients require stem cell transplants, applicable to around 50% of the cases.“Public hospitals in Delhi lack standardised diagnostic workflows for acute myeloid leukaemia. We need dedicated pathways from symptom recognition to cancer genetic testing to improve early diagnosis and access to targeted therapies. Despite having a concentration of top hospitals, Delhi lacks a cohesive care model for this disease. Patient outcomes vary drastically depending on the facility visited, insurance coverage, and early referral to tertiary care centres,” said Dr Dharma Chaudhary, vice-chairman, haemato oncology & BMT, BLK Super Speciality Hospital.Whilst traditional chemotherapy remains the primary treatment, targeted therapies addressing specific genetic mutations have improved global remission rates and reduced toxicity levels, said experts.According to them, India’s healthcare system has yet to fully implement these advancements. Genetic testing accessibility remains limited to urban private facilities. Targeted medications remain financially prohibitive, excluded from public health schemes and the National Cancer Drug Registry.Initial mortality rates in India range from 15-20% within the first 30 days of treatment, primarily due to more aggressive infections and increased drug resistance compared to Western nations.The period between diagnosis and treatment initiation is crucial. Patients presenting early without complications demonstrate better survival rates compared to those arriving with infections. This emphasises the importance of establishing optimal treatment protocols for chemotherapy candidates in India.
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