Doctors at the KLE S. S. Shivanagi cancer hospital in Belagavi conducted a rare cancer correction surgery to save the life of a girl child.

A team of surgeons led by Paediatric Haematologist Oncologist S. Abhilasha successfully conducted a bone marrow transplant on the patient who was suffering from congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT), a genetic defect. The girl had lost her brother to the same condition.

The child had been suffering from persistently low platelet count since infancy, requiring frequent platelet transfusions and the elder sibling of this child had succumbed due to the same disorder. After thorough evaluation and genetic confirmation of CAMT, the decision was made to proceed with an allogenic transplant.

The heart-warming aspect of this case was that the child’s elder sister, who didn’t have this disorder, was found to be a fully HLA-matched sibling donor. She was subjected to bone marrow harvest procedure in which stem cells are extracted from the bone marrow. Following a carefully planned regimen, these healthy stem cells were infused to the child .

Post-transplant recovery was closely monitored, and engraftment occurred successfully. The child is now producing healthy blood cells.

“We have conducted the first allogenic bone marrow transplant on a child in our hospital. It is a significant milestone in paediatric haematology and oncology,” according to a statement from the hospital.

This case marks a turning point in advanced paediatric care in the region, as it was the first allogenic bone marrow transplant performed in north Karnataka, proving that even highly specialised procedures like bone marrow transplantation for rare genetic disorders and malignancies can be effectively carried out with the right expertise and infrastructure. This achievement offers hope to other children suffering from rare haematologic disorders and reinforces the importance of early diagnosis, genetic counselling, and access to specialised care.

CAMT is a genetic condition characterised by severely reduced platelet production from birth, often leading to serious bleeding complications. Left untreated, the condition progresses to complete bone marrow failure. The only curative treatment currently available is an allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).