NRS Medical College in Kolkata has begun offering CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed blood cancers, marking what is being described as a first for government hospitals in eastern India. The move places the state-run institution at the front of a highly specialized area of cancer treatment that has so far remained limited in availability.
The development is significant because CAR T-cell therapy is generally seen as an advanced option for patients whose blood cancer returns after earlier treatment. By introducing the therapy at NRS, Kolkata gains a new public-sector treatment pathway for difficult cancer cases that previously may have required care elsewhere or in private facilities.
Cost remains a major issue. According to the report, the treatment can range from about Rs 40 lakh to Rs 75 lakh, making it one of the more expensive cancer care options available in India. That pricing highlights both the promise of the therapy and the challenge of making it broadly accessible to patients in need.
The report also said that a patient died, though the brief available details do not provide further context about the case. Even so, the launch of CAR T-cell therapy at NRS Medical College signals an important step in expanding advanced blood cancer treatment within eastern India’s government hospital system.
