Ahead of World Blood Cancer Day, experts say that many patients diagnosed with blood cancer in India still struggle to find matching donors in time for life-saving stem cell transplants.

Stem cell transplantation remains the only curative treatment option for several blood cancers, but severe donor shortages, delayed diagnosis, and the country’s limited donor registry continue to impact timely access to treatment, they say.

According to a press release, over one lakh persons are diagnosed with blood cancer every year and more than 70,000 lives are lost annually in India. While nearly 70% of patients requiring a transplant depend on unrelated donors to survive, only about 0.09% of the country’s population is currently registered as blood stem cell donors, making timely donor matches difficult.

Awareness of blood stem cell donation has improved in metropolitan cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Pune due to stronger healthcare infrastructure, and greater corporate engagement, but donor registrations from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and rural regions remain comparatively low.

Stem cell transplantation

Blood stem cell transplantation helps regenerate a healthy blood and immune system in patients with life-threatening blood cancers. Improvements in donor matching, transplant procedures, conditioning regimens and supportive care have further strengthened outcomes across several transplant centres.

Esha Kaul, director, Haemato Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Medanta Super Speciality Hospital, Noida, said that blood cancers can progress rapidly, and a stem cell transplant offers the best chance of survival for many patients. “However, one of the biggest challenges we continue to face in India is the delay in finding a suitable matching donor in time. In aggressive blood cancers, delays of even a few months while searching for a donor can significantly impact treatment outcomes and survival chances,” she said.

Dr. Kaul said it was critical to increase awareness around blood stem cell donation and expand India’s donor registry to ensure more patients receive timely transplants.

In India, the challenge becomes even more critical as stem cell matching depends heavily on genetic and ethnic compatibility. A small and non-diverse donor registry significantly reduces the chances of patients finding suitable matches quickly, often delaying timely treatment for those battling aggressive blood cancers, the release said.

Donor registry

Highlighting the urgent need to strengthen India’s blood stem cell donor registry, Patrick Paul, executive chairman, DKMS Foundation India, said that India continues to face a critical shortage of registered blood stem cell donors despite the growing number of patients requiring life-saving stem cell transplants every year. “While awareness around blood stem cell donation has improved, India’s donor registry still remains far smaller than what is needed for a country of our population,” he said, emphasising on the participation from young individuals, educational institutions, corporates, and communities to help strengthen the donor registry.

Aruna Rajendran, Assistant Professor, Department of Haematology, Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Chennai, said, “As a haematologist, I witness the devastating impact of blood cancers on patients and families almost every day, particularly when delayed diagnosis affects timely treatment. Many patients spend weeks or even months visiting general physicians for symptoms they assume are viral infections, simple anaemia, or fatigue before a specialist is consulted. In some cases, fear of a cancer diagnosis also leads patients and families to delay important tests and medical consultations, further impacting timely treatment. By the time they reach specialised centres, the disease may already have progressed significantly, reducing treatment options and survival chances. Timely referrals remain extremely important for improving outcomes among blood cancer patients.”

A major barrier to strengthening India’s blood stem cell donor registry continues to be the misconceptions surrounding blood stem cell donation, Nitin Agarwal, Head of Donor Request Management, DKMS Foundation India said.

“Many people still believe the process is painful or highly invasive, whereas in most cases donation is similar to blood donation and recovery is usually quick. Fear about potential health effects also prevents many individuals from registering as donors despite the procedure being considered safe for healthy individuals. Young people, especially between 18 and 35 years, can play a critical role in expanding the donor pool and improving the chances of blood cancer patients finding a life-saving match in time,” he added.

DKMS Foundation India has registered over 2.8 lakh potential blood stem cell donors and facilitated more than 250 stem cell transplants since its inception in 2019. A healthy adult aged between 18 and 55 years of age can register as a potential stem cell donor.

Registration requires filling up a consent form. A swab of the inside of the cheeks is taken to collect the tissue cells, which are then sent to a lab to be analysed for Human Leukocyte Antigen. The potential donor is then listed anonymously on the international search platform for matching stem cell donors, the release said.