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India's First Tandem Transplant Saves Young Brain Tumor Patient
22 Feb
Summary
- Advanced two-stage stem cell transplant performed on a three-year-old girl.
- The procedure offers a 50-60% survival rate for aggressive paediatric brain tumours.
- Visakhapatnam emerges as a major oncology hub with this successful intervention.
Doctors in Visakhapatnam have achieved a significant medical milestone by performing India's first documented tandem autologous stem cell transplant on a three-year-old girl. The child was diagnosed with Embryonal Tumour with Multi layered Rosettes (ETMR), a highly aggressive paediatric brain cancer. This complex two-stage treatment strategy is designed to eliminate resistant cancer cells, offering a dramatically improved five-year survival rate of 50-60%.
The patient underwent initial treatment, including surgery and chemotherapy, at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai before being referred to the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Visakhapatnam for the final phase. The tandem transplant procedure was successfully completed between December 2025 and January 2026, with the child discharged in stable condition earlier this month.
This success highlights Visakhapatnam's growing status as an oncology hub. The centre is also expanding its facilities with a new 200-bed block dedicated to paediatric and haematological cancers, expected to be operational by 2027, further enhancing specialized cancer care in the region.
