A modern protocol, the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research –04 (INCTR – 04) to treat Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), the common blood cancer in children, will be soon implemented at three of the leading cancer treatment centres in India.

INCTR – 04, advancement over the existing Multi-Centre Intensive (MCI) method, will increase drug dosage and minimize radiation therapy to increase survival rates, besides reducing the side effects of radiation.

It will be soon implemented at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Chennai Cancer Institute and the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, after getting approval from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). Later the method will be introduced in about 10 other smaller centres, and within a few years will phase out the 20 year old method of MCI treatment in the country.

This was revealed by TG Sagar, chairman, Medical Oncology Division of the Cancer Institute, Chennai to media as part of a two day ‘Review Cum Workshop on the MCI Protocol’ at Cancer Institute, held on February 9 and 10. Over 150 cancer specialists attended the meet from different parts of the world. The event is jointly organized by the Cancer Institute and the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research, and aims to build capacities of smaller hospitals to conduct the new INCTR – 04.

As per the MCI method available in about 10 hospitals the country, the patient has to undergo treatment for 30 months and a follow up of another 10 years. Cost of this treatment amounts to around Rs.1.5 lakh. However, the success rate is only 50 per cent, besides complications related to radiation. The new method is helpful in improving the success rate and reducing the effects of radiation. About 30 per cent of the childhood cancers and 70 per cent of the blood cancers in children are related to ALL, said the sources.