Haematopoietic stem cells or bone marrow transplant can be used to treat paediatric cancers including leukaemia, severe inherited immunodeficiency diseases and blood disorders, according to Dr Anselm Chi-wao Lee, Consultant Paediatric Haematologist-Oncologist Parkway Children's Haematology and Cancer Centre East Shore Hospital, Singapore.

"One in every 500 children will develop cancer before the age of 18. However, with effective treatment, 70 per cent of children can be cured and one of them with the use of Haematopoietic stem cells transplant. (HSCT). General treatments are a combination of chemotherapy, surgery, radio therapy and biological agents," said Dr Lee.

Dr Anselm Chi-wai Lee who was in Bangalore recently to discuss on the emerging techniques to treat cancer in children was the first paediatric oncologist who transplanted bone marrow for a leukaemia case and transplanted the original cell from umbilical cords successfully. He has been recognized in South Asia for his efforts and has bagged several notable awards
Children diagnosed with early acute myeloid leukaemia's (except acute promyelocytic leukaemia's) and high-risk or recurrent acute lymphoblastic leukaemia are the usual candidates for allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant(HSCT) .Children with stage four neuroblastomas and advanced/recurrent solid tumours are now commonly treated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous HSCT.

Besides malignant disorders, children with severe haematological diseases including aplastic anaemia, thalassaemia, sickle cell anaemia, congenital bone marrow failure syndromes (Fanconi anaemia, Diamond-Blackfan anaemia, dyskeratosis congenital), primary immuno-deficiencies, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis are candidates for allergenic HSCT, he stated.

Along side stem cell transplant, TomoTherapy a 3-D imaging from computerized tomography scan is used for the treatment. In fact, the Mount Elizabeth Oncology Centre at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital is the first in Southeast Asia to offer TomoTherapy. The first patient was treated using this technology on March 1, 2006 informed Dr Lee.

Singapore, which was considered as tourist paradise, is fast positioning itself as a medical tourism hub, also the spearhead of health care in Asia. Ever since the major breakthrough in treating cancer patients happened, some cancers are curable not just in India but also in state-of-the-art hospitals elsewhere.

Singapore has pioneered stem cell treatment for patients with advanced cancer tumours. Cost of treatment here ranges from US$ 72,000 to US$ 90,000 per person, compared to US$ 235,000 for similar treatment in the US.

In order to enable Indian patients access the medical services at Singapore for treatment with stem cell, an International Patient Assistance Centre (IPAC) has been set-up at Delhi, Kolkotta, Mumbai, Chennai, Patna and Ludhiana.