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Stem Cell Transplant Expertise for Your Patients

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    Our Adult Stem Cell Transplantation Program is one of the most experienced in the world, having performed more than 11,600 transplants for the treatment of blood cancers and related disorders. Our services include autologous transplant (using a patient's own stem cells), as well as allogeneic transplant (using family member, unrelated, or umbilical cord blood donor cells). We also offer comprehensive services for related and unrelated stem cell donors.

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    Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapies Guide

    Why Choose Us

    In-depth knowledge: We understand how to manage the complex treatment plans and unique needs associated with transplant.

    Extensive evaluation: Our team carefully evaluates each patient to determine if stem cell transplant is appropriate.

    Exceptional outcomes: Our stem cell transplant outcomes consistently exceed the expected outcomes as established by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR).

    Large team: We have more than 35 transplant-credentialed physicians – all are Harvard Medical School faculty members.

    Disease-specific expertise: We offer stem cell transplant for many types of blood cancer and blood disorders, including leukemias, lymphomas, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, aplastic anemia, sickle cell disease, and more.

    State-of-the-art, in-house cell processing lab: The Connell and O'Reilly Families Cell Manipulation Core Facility is a critical component of our program, processing cellular products for stem cell transplant and CAR T-cell therapies.

    Strong partnerships: Dana-Farber partners with Brigham and Women's Hospital, one of the nation's leading hospitals, to care for our patients. In addition to a dedicated transplant physician and nurse practitioner, patient care may include expert specialists in infectious disease, dermatology, neurology, pulmonology, and more – all with a deep understanding of the complex needs and complications of patients receiving these advanced therapies.
     

    Patient Referrals and Consults

    Complete our patient referral form or call 617-632-6028 to discuss if stem transplantation is right for your patient. See our referral timing guide for detailed recommendations by disease type.

    Coordinating Care Throughout the Transplant Process

    Our expert team coordinates closely with referring partners in both pre-transplant workup and post-transplant monitoring. Through partnerships focused on co-management of care and development of a shared treatment plan, patients will be able to receive more pre-transplant workup and post-transplant monitoring in the community. This will save patients who live a great distance from Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center from needing to travel to the hospital and will reduce their treatment costs.

    Ongoing communication and collaboration with our referring partners are among our top priorities. We will keep you informed and connected in the shared care of your patients. Our physician portal, Physician Gateway, helps you keep track of patients you have referred to Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center for care.

      Transplant Evaluation

      The transplant evaluation process is a critical juncture for care coordination and co-management of transplant patients. We offer a variety of services to streamline the pre-transplant process. We may be able to include referring providers in evaluation.

      Tests include:

      • Cardiac review
      • Pulmonary evaluation
      • Radiology
      • Hematologic staging
      • Solid organ screen

      Labs include:

      • Hematology
      • Chemistry
      • Infectious titers
      • Protein marker
      Routine Labs

      After patients are discharged from their inpatient stay following their stem cell transplants, we work closely with you and your care team to support their long-term recovery and survival. We created post-transplant guidelines, including items to watch for in the patient's post-transplant care. We are invested in developing a shared care plan for each individual patient.

      Routine Follow-Up

      • Assess GVHD (for allogeneic transplant recipients)
      • Monitor for signs and symptoms of infection
      • Monitor for organ toxicity

      Routine Labs

      • CBCD with Differential
      • LFTs
      • Magnesium
      • CMV viral load (for allogeneic transplant recipients)
      • Tacrolimus level (for allogeneic transplant recipients, if applicable)
      • Sirolimus level (for allogeneic transplant recipients, if applicable)
      • Ferritin (if applicable)
      • IgG level (every 3 months during first year post-allogeneic transplant)

      If Suspected Infection

      • EBV viral load (for allogeneic transplant recipients)
      • Adenovirus (for allogeneic transplant recipients)
      • Blood cultures
      • Beta glucan
      • Galactomannan
      • Radiographic imaging (if applicable)
      Stem Cell Donor Services

      The Kraft Family Blood Donor Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital provides essential stem cell, blood product, and aphaeresis services to our transplant patients and blood donors. Bone marrow harvest is performed at Brigham and Women's Hospital by specially credentialed clinicians.

      Our accredited transplant donor services include:

      • Certified Hematopoietic Transplant Coordinators (CHTC), who continually improve strategies for finding each patient the best available donor in the shortest time frame, while reducing expense
      • Education and advocacy
      • Stem cell and bone marrow collection coordinators, who provide comprehensive donor support throughout the donor process
      • Long-term support and follow-up for donors
      Cell Processing

      All of our stem cell processing takes place in the Connell and O'Reilly Families Cell Manipulation Core Facility, New England's only Class 10,000 Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) facility for cell therapy at an academic medical center. The facility is accredited by FACT for cellular therapy product processing with more than minimal manipulation. Services include:

      • Processing hematopoietic stem cells for transplant
      • Generating modified tumor cells as cancer vaccines
      • Preparing immune cell populations for adoptive therapy
      Transplant and Cellular Therapies Quality Assurance
      • Teams of clinicians, investigators, and programs achieve outstanding outcomes, maintain regulatory compliance, and deliver safe and optimal care
      • Team of highly trained transplant specialists in QA, QC, QI, and regulatory management
      • Extensive safety systems and documentation resources for clinical decision-making
      • Accreditation by FACT and the Joint Commission
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      Celebrating 50 Years of Stem Cell Transplantation

       

      Learn about the history, progress, and innovation in the adult stem cell transplantation program over the past 50 years.

      Explore Our History

      International Patient Care

      For international patients who require complex and advanced care such as stem cell transplantation, we offer exceptional medical care and support services, including:

      • Remote consults and online second opinions to evaluate a diagnosis or recommended treatment plans/options
      • Access to the latest diagnostics, such as molecular and genomic profiling, including the Rapid Heme Panel, which was developed by our scientists to rapidly detect key mutations that are important for developing timely treatment plans.
      • Assistance with travel, housing, transportation and other logistics, such as travel visas, medical records transfer, financial estimates, and billing
      • Patient navigators who accompany patients to appointments
      • Interpreter services
      • Extensive patient education materials in print, online, and video formats, many of which are translated for non-English speaking patients and caregivers
      • Nutrition services, with attention to special dietary needs
      • Dedicated social work resources
      • Post-treatment care, consultation, and coordination with physicians, sharing post-discharge care guidelines that outline recommended testing, symptoms to monitor, re-immunizations, and more – all to help you care for your returning patients
      • Learn more about our services for international patients

      Additional Resources