Blood cancers patients can not delay their treatment; expert
Ankur Mittal, consultant- clinical hematologist at Mohandai Oswal Hospital, Ludhiana addresses a virtual press conference on Covid-19 and blood cancer
cityairnews
Jun 1, 2021 11:18
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Ludhiana:
“Blood cancers patients can not delay their treatment in any situation as it is life threatening. These patients are advised to visit the hospitals for their ongoing treatments as well as for diagnosis of any new blood cancers if any.”
Ankur Mittal, consultant- clinical hematologist at Mohandai Oswal Hospital, Ludhiana stated this while addressing a virtual press conference on Covid-19 and blood cancer on Tuesday.
He said that as per the GLOBOCAN 2020 report, every year, over one-lakh people are being diagnosed in India with a form of blood cancer such as lymphoma, leukaemia and multiple myeloma. Treating such patients is of utmost priority, as treatment cannot be delayed in such patients, he opined.
Moreover India has the 3rd largest number of hematological cancers in World, after the US & China.
Talking about the Covid-19 impact, Dr Ankur said that many of the symptoms of Covid-19 can overlap with the symptoms which a patient may be experiencing from their cancer diagnosis or treatments like fever, shortness of breath, body or muscle aches, headache and generalised weakness.
Thus it becomes equally more important to get themselves visit or consult the treating doctor for any similar symptoms, he maintained.
Weight loss, unexplained fever, night sweats, itching could be early signs of lymphoma. While abnormal hemogram report that fall in haemoglobin, low platelet counts, raised or low white blood cells usually seen in acute leukaemia whereas low backache with anaemia are early signs of multiple myeloma, he informed.
He further said that over 30% of his patients of hematological disorders are currently on treatment through tele–medicine which is actually helping them in safely guarding their patients from Hospital visits during Covid time.
Moreover we are taking all the possible precautions at Mohandai Oswal Hospital for limiting the exposure from Covid including screening for symptoms of Covid-19 before arrival, screening of symptoms at door, limiting visitors to centres, spacing out waiting room and infusion room chairs, mandatory mask wearing at the centres and telehealth visits, if appropriate, he asserted.
