After spending almost a year in New York for his cancer treatment, Rishi Kapoor, with wife Neetu Kapoor, is finally headed back to India.
The veteran actor had flown to New York on undisclosed medical grounds in September 2018. All anticipation was put to rest when filmmaker Rahul Rawail revealed in a Facebook post that Kapoor was now cancer-free.
In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, the actor had said that his medical treatment was still underway. While he had beaten cancer, he was yet to undergo a bone marrow transplant.
“I will have to do a bone-marrow transplant which in all probability should take another two months minimum.”Rishi Kapoor
The 66-year-old actor expressed gratitude towards his friends and family for helping him combat the fatal condition. On his wife, Neetu Kapoor, he said, “ Neetu has stood by me like a rock. Otherwise I am too difficult a person to handle as far as food and drink are concerned.”
He also added that his children Ranbir Kapoor and Ridhima Kapoor stood by him throughout.
This battle against cancer, he believes, was ‘God’s way of teaching him patience’.
“A person like me who has never had patience, this is God’s way to teach me patience. Getting well is a slow procedure. But it makes you grateful for the gift of life.”Rishi Kapoor
When is Bone Marrow Transplant Needed?
According to MedlinePlus, a bone marrow is a tissue found in some of the bones that contains stem cells. These stem cells can develop into red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Certain kinds of diseases and medical conditions can affect the development of these cells, leading to further health problems. In such cases, a bone marrow transplant is one of the medical procedures that can be undertaken to replace the dysfunctional tissue.
The transplant is a specialized treatment modality for certain types of blood cancer. Speaking to FIT, Dr Rahul Bhargava, Director of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, explained that the procedure can be of two types: autologous and allogenic transplant. The former can be performed in cases of multiple myeloma or lymphoma, and the latter in acute leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS).
Chemotherapy can only cure 30-40 percent of patients. The combination of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant increases that percentage to up to 60%.Dr Rahul Bhargava
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