Genomic testing, CAR-T cell therapy, and artificial intelligence are reshaping what is possible for blood cancer patients in India, yet the path to wider uptake runs through unresolved barriers — uneven access to specialist centres, delays in reaching a diagnosis, and the cost burden these therapies place on those who need them.
A two-day gathering of international scientists — convened under the banner of HemeNext 2.0 and hosted by Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram — brought these matters to the table on 10 and 11 October. Haematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplantation — spanning both adult and paediatric care — formed the agenda when practitioners from India, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Singapore gathered at the conference.
Data presented at the conclave by the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Cancer Registry Programme put the number of newly diagnosed cancer cases across the country at roughly 14.6 lakh for the year 2022. Among boys aged 0–14, lymphoid leukaemia was responsible for roughly 29 per cent of all cancer cases, while the figure stood at around 24 per cent for girls in the same age group — a pattern that underscores the value of detecting the disease early and ensuring young patients can reach specialist care.
Genomic testing and next-generation sequencing took centre stage in precision medicine conversations, with attendees examining how these tools allow clinicians to distinguish variations in disease biology, weigh patient risk profiles, and pinpoint appropriate treatment pathways. Questions around speed, dependability, and cost for these tests drew attention from those with relevant expertise.
Researchers also directed attention toward CAR-T cell therapy, a treatment that takes a patient's own immune cells and engineers them to seek out and attack cancerous tissue. Coverage at the session ranged from how to identify suitable candidates and when to begin treatment, through to monitoring for adverse effects and the structural and financial barriers that shape who can realistically reach advanced therapies.
Bone marrow transplants and targeted therapies were among the treatments covered by the programme. Among the conditions addressed in the child-focused programme were leukaemia, thalassaemia, sickle cell disease, and hereditary disorders of the bone marrow. Presentations ranged beyond treatment alone, drawing attention to fertility preservation, extended monitoring after care, and the lasting physical effects that cancer therapies can leave behind.
Two potential routes toward broadening access — shared donor registries and collaborative arrangements between public bodies and private organisations — came up for consideration.
Sepsis protocols, antifungal guidance, antimicrobial resistance, viral prevention strategies, and immunisation each occupied dedicated sessions within the infection management strand of the programme. For people managing blood disorders — or undergoing treatment for them — a compromised immune system can make these questions especially pressing.
Discussions at the gathering extended into how artificial intelligence might be applied across diagnostic work, genomics, and medical research. Structured around real-world scenarios, the debate session titled "AI vs Human" examined what responsible adoption of these tools in healthcare settings would require — among them, robust evidence, independent validation, protections around patient data, and sustained clinical supervision.
Broadening patient access to scientific progress — covering both the speed of availability and the cost of treatment — ranked as the foremost concern raised by Dr Rahul Bhargava, who chairs HemeNext 2.0 and holds the position of Principal Director at Fortis Hospital Gurugram, where he oversees haematology, haemato-oncology, and bone marrow transplantation as departmental chief.
Spread across three concurrent programme tracks, the gathering drew upwards of 200 faculty members alongside some 400 attendees, who moved between scientific presentations, case-based discussions, and structured debates throughout the day.
