HCM City (VNA) - The country’s first patient transplantedwith his own stem cells, frozen for preservation, to replace stemcells destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation is well on the way to fullrecovery from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, local doctors have said.

The autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation bycryopreservation at -80 Celsius was performed in June at Ho Chi Minh City’s ChoRay Hospital on a 50-year-old male who had completed eight chemotherapy cycles,said Le Phuoc Dam, deputy head of the hospital’s haematology unit.

The patient had been admitted last September and diagnosed withnon-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, thebody’s disease-fighting network. He was discharged from hospital three weeks.

According to Doctor Dam, Vietnam mainly uses stem cellcryopreservation in Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) with concentration of 5 percentat -196 Celsius. This method requires advanced devices, equipment and longtransplantation time (about 180 minutes) and poses side effects related toheart beat and blood pressure.

Ten institutes and hospitals have so far performed more than 500stem cell transplants by cryopreservation at -196 Celsius.

Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation bycryopreservation at a higher temperature, -80 Celsius, is a highly effectivetherapy for improving the chances of disease-free survival, Dam said at a pressmeeting on July 18. He added that it was the best method so far withpreservation time of about five years, low cost of stem cell preservation,transplant time of about 60 minutes and fewer side effects.

At around 50 million VND (2,200 USD), the procedure costs halfthat of transplantation by cryopreservation at -196 Celsius, he said.

Cho Ray Hospital is the first in Vietnam to successfully apply themethod. According to Dr Suzanne Thanh Thanh, deputy head of the hospital’shaematology unit, this method is not complicated and does not require costlyequipment. The hospital needs a freezer that can be regulated to -80 degrees, adoctor and two nurses. Central and provincial-level hospitals which have blooddepartments can also apply this method.

According to medical experts, blood stem cell transplantationexpands longevity and improves life quality, even curing some diseases. Vietnambegan stem cell transplantation in 1995, Doctor Dam said.

With technical assistance from Japan’s Tsukuba UniversityHospital, Cho Ray has applied advanced technology in the treatment of lymphomaand multiple myeloma. Since 2013 it has performed 36 stem cell transplants.-VNA