Ananya Bashyam lost her vision upon standing up in September 2021, just weeks into her first job as a Teach for America biology teacher in Houston, Texas, today.com reported. That morning, her vision went completely black, accompanied by dizziness, dark brown urine, and severe flu-like symptoms. She sought medical care at an urgent care clinic over the weekend, where blood tests revealed significantly elevated liver numbers and low blood cell counts.
Doctors at a local emergency room initially suspected liver failure, leading to a two-week hospital stay. While her liver numbers gradually improved, her blood counts worsened. She suffered from recurring high fevers and required multiple blood transfusions while slipping in and out of lucidity.
Bone Marrow Biopsy Identifies B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma
Specialists eventually ordered a bone marrow biopsy that pinpointed the root cause of her symptoms. At age 22, Bashyam was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma, a fast-growing, aggressive bone marrow cancer that occurs more frequently in children, Dr. Musa Yilmaz, an associate professor in the department of leukemia at MD Anderson Cancer Center, told today.com. Yilmaz noted that the disease is deadly if left untreated, though modern therapeutic advances enable physicians to cure a substantial number of patients.
Bashyam immediately began her first round of chemotherapy at MD Anderson, enduring a four-to-five-month treatment window marked by severe complications. Severely immunocompromised with zero white blood cell counts and single-digit platelet levels, she developed multiple infections. Following four cycles of conventional chemotherapy, her medical team transitioned her to blinatumomab, a targeted immunotherapy.
Blinatumomab leads to remission before cancer relapses
Blinatumomab works by binding to two specific sites on the body’s T-cells, positioning cancer cells in close proximity to activate the immune system against the malignancy, according to Yilmaz. The medication required a continuous 24/7 infusion that Bashyam carried with her at all times. After roughly a year of treatment, the cancer went into remission, allowing her to return to teaching.
The remission lasted six months. In early 2023, a follow-up bone marrow biopsy confirmed a cancer relapse. Her care team attempted CAR T-cell therapy, which utilizes the patient’s own immune cells to combat the disease, but it failed to eliminate the cancer entirely. Consequently, her doctors recommended a stem cell transplant. Her younger brother emerged as a matching donor, providing the cells for the procedure in June after Bashyam underwent full-body radiation and high-dose chemotherapy to destroy her existing immune system.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bashyam’s Treatment
What specific symptoms prompted Ananya Bashyam to seek medical attention?
Bashyam experienced sudden vision loss upon standing, dizziness, dark brown urine, and severe flu-like symptoms that worsened over the course of a weekend.
How does blinatumomab work against B-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma?
Blinatumomab is a targeted immunotherapy that connects the patient’s own T-cells directly to cancer cells, activating the immune system to destroy the malignancy through a continuous 24/7 infusion.
Who served as the donor for Bashyam’s stem cell transplant?
Bashyam’s younger brother served as her donor after testing revealed he was a perfect match.
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