Ctg Evercare records milestone in brainstem Glioma treatment

CHATTOGRAM, 22 July: Evercare Hospital Chattogram has achieved a significant milestone in Bangladesh’s cancer treatment by successfully treating an 18-year-old patient suffering from a complex malignant brainstem glioma. The patient was receiving mechanical ventilator support. 

Hospital authorities claims this is the first such case in the country where a critically ill cancer patient on life support successfully completed a full course of 30 radiotherapy sessions.
The achievement was disclosed at a press conference held at the hospital on Tuesday. Medical specialists shared details of the patient’s condition, treatment challenges, recovery process, and the coordinated efforts of various departments involved.

The patient had been suffering from a complex malignant brainstem glioma for an extended period. His neurological condition deteriorated significantly in recent months, causing weakness on the left side of his body, difficulty in speaking (dysphasia), repeated breathing problems, and a high risk of aspiration during swallowing.

Seeking advanced treatment, the patient’s family took him to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. But, during treatment there, his condition suddenly worsened, leading to acute cardiorespiratory failure. He was placed on mechanical ventilation and remained dependent on life support. As further treatment could not be continued there, his family brought him back to Bangladesh while he was still on ventilator support.

After returning to Chattogram in a critical condition, the patient was immediately admitted to Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of Evercare Hospital-Chattogram. Dr Bhaskar Chakraborty, Visiting Consultant of Medical and Radiation Oncology at the hospital, took responsibility for managing the highly complex and high-risk treatment.

With the family’s consent, the medical team decided to begin radiotherapy while the patient remained on life support in the ICU. Delivering 30 radiotherapy sessions to a critically ill patient receiving active ventilator support was a highly challenging procedure. It required careful planning, advanced technology, and close coordination between specialists.

Through continuous monitoring and collaborative efforts by ICU and oncology teams, the patient gradually improved. He was successfully weaned off ventilator support, and the tracheostomy tube placed in his airway was later removed. After regaining his swallowing ability, the nasogastric (NG) tube was removed, and he resumed normal oral feeding.

The patient also underwent gaze physiotherapy and specialised rehabilitation programmes, following which he regained the ability to walk normally with the support of a walker. A follow-up contrast MRI fusion scan showed significant improvement in the tumour after treatment.

 Dr Bhaskar Chakraborty said, “Providing radiotherapy in a complete ICU environment while a patient was dependent on life support or a ventilator was an extremely challenging task. Successfully completing 30 radiotherapy sessions, helping the patient come off the ventilator, and restoring his normal breathing ability is a remarkable achievement for our entire team. I am proud to have been part of this extraordinary effort by the coordinated medical team of Evercare Hospital-Chattogram.”

Dr Hassan Shahriar Kabir, Director of Medical Services, said, “Every patient’s recovery and return to normal life is our greatest achievement. This success demonstrates that with timely decisions, modern technology, and coordinated healthcare systems, complex cancer treatment of international standards can be provided in Bangladesh.”

Samir Singh, Chief Operating Officer said, “For complex cancer treatment, technology alone is not enough. It requires timely decision-making, clinical expertise, and collaboration among specialists from different departments. This achievement shows that advanced cancer care can now be delivered in Chattogram.”

Doctors and healthcare professionals from Radiation and Medical Oncology, Critical Care (ICU), Internal Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Cardiology, ENT, Physiotherapy, Nutrition, and Nursing departments worked together to make the treatment successful.

Prof Dr Sajjad Mohammad Yousuf, Visiting Senior Consultant (Medical and Radiation Oncology); Dr Tanvir Ahmed, Consultant and Coordinator of Radiotherapy Services (Medical and Radiation Oncology); Dr Hasnina Akter, Consultant (Medical and Radiation Oncology); Dr Nayan Bhowmik, Attending Consultant (Medical and Radiation Oncology); Prof Dr A.A.M. Raihan Uddin, Senior Consultant (Internal Medicine and Critical Care); and Dr Sheikh-Ul Alam, Attending Consultant (Critical Care Medicine) were present at the press conference.

Patient’s family expressed their gratitude to all doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers involved in the treatment, particularly the teams from the Medical ICU, Critical Care, Radiotherapy, Radiation and Medical Oncology, Internal Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Cardiology, ENT, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Nursing departments.

Evercare Hospital-Chattogram is a 470-bed multi-disciplinary super-speciality tertiary care hospital and the first of its kind in Chattogram. The hospital provides 24-hour emergency services, advanced intensive care facilities, and 27 medical specialties and subspecialties.

The hospital features 10 modular operating theatres equipped with laminar airflow and HEPA filtration systems to maintain high infection-control standards. Spread across 492,000 square feet, the facility is equipped with advanced medical technology and supported by more than 500 healthcare professionals dedicated to providing quality healthcare services to communities in and around Chattogram.