Massey is leader in bone marrow transplants

• About bone marrow transplants
• Research improves safety, saves lives
• Donating is easy and may save a life
• For more information

Marking its 20th anniversary this year, VCU Massey Cancer Center’s Bone Marrow Transplant Program has firmly established itself as the regional leader and a national player in the field. It’s also one of the fastest-growing programs in the nation, having doubled the number of transplants performed in three years.

In 1992, the program became a National Marrow Donor Program transplant center. More recently it became a Blue Distinction Center — one of just 70 nationwide — in recognition of the program’s depth of experience and good outcomes with patients.    

Through an inpatient treatment unit and an outpatient clinic, the program offers expertise in pediatric and adult stem cell transplants and bone marrow harvests from a variety of sources.

It serves a four-state area — predominantly in Virginia with referrals from West Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina.

“As the state's only bone marrow transplant program at a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, we’re able to acquire the unique donated or harvested source of stem cells that patients need for transplantation,” said John McCarty, M.D., director of the program. “Our patients do not have to travel elsewhere for any aspect of their treatment.”

We have a special unit at the VCU Medical Center that is designed for the unique treatment needs of transplant patients and their families.

About bone marrow transplants

Note to our readers: For a more detailed discussion of the process and benefits, please read about bone marrow transplantation under “Treatment methods” on Massey’s Web site.

Candidates for transplants often have various forms of blood cancers, such as leukemias, as well as sickle cell anemia and other hematologic malignancies and immune disorders. In particular, patients who have relapsed or recurrent cancer, patients whose cancer did not fully respond to standard-dose therapy and patients with high risk for relapse with standard-dose therapy are candidates.

Bone marrow/peripheral blood stem cell transplant is a treatment option for a wide variety of diseases, including:

• Chronic and acute leukemias.
• Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
• Multiple myeloma.

Treatment decisions are based on the type and status of the disease, tumor markers, and genetic changes that predict chance of cure and chance of recurrence with standard-dose therapy.

Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones where new blood cells are produced. A bone marrow transplant involves removing some marrow from the donor’s hip bone and transferring it to the patient intravenously.

In many cases the stem cells may also be obtained by processing the donor’s venous blood. “We need to update the old public perception that bone marrow is only obtained through a long needle,” said McCarty. “We are actually working with blood stem cells that can come through a blood donation.”   

Bone marrow transplants:

• Use high-dose chemotherapy to overcome resistance that some tumors have developed during the course of treatment with standard dose therapy.
• Replace stem cells, which may be "programmed" to create cancerous cells, with cancer-free stem cells from a healthy matched donor.
• Implant the donor's immune system into the recipient as a way of recognizing and eradicating cancer cells.

Massey offers several types of transplants. The two main methods include:

• Autologous stem cell transplantation, in which the patient's own stem cells are used to cure or prolong survival in certain types of cancers.
• Allogeneic stem cell transplantation, in which donor stem cells replace the patient's stem cells and rebuild a healthier immune system. Massey can perform these transplants from related donors and unrelated donors.  

 

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Research improves safety, saves lives

“Because of research, there’s been a tremendous growth in the treatment options available to patients,” said Harold Chung, M.D., one of the team’s three physician-researchers. “We are able to save more lives today than we were 20 years ago as a result.”

Vast improvements in the transplant process over the past five years have led to safer transplants. Also, high-dose therapies may now be given to patients who previously may have been ineligible due to age and other diseases.

“Immune therapeutics is an exciting area of growth within our program,” added McCarty. “We can actually give patients a better immune system that promotes their long-term health.”

Massey has participated in new clinical trials and written new protocols for disease states that previously could not be treated effectively.

“The success of high-dose therapy has improved throughout the transplant community as a result of national clinical studies and cooperation among the worldwide academic community.” Chung said. “This cooperation and information sharing allows us to continue to advance the field.”

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Donating is easy and may save a life

McCarty wants people to know that it’s easy to donate bone marrow through a procedure that causes little more than slight bruising and discomfort for the donor, but can be life-saving for the recipient.

“Testing is as simple as swabbing to get a DNA sample,” McCarty said. “If you match a family member or friend who needs a bone marrow transplant, you can donate stem cells on a Friday and be back to work by Monday or Tuesday.”

McCarty said there is no long-term risk to the bone marrow donor, and that it is not like giving a kidney or other organ. The body recreates the lost marrow stem cells.

Potential donors who don’t have a family member or friend in need of a bone marrow transplant can still perform a life-giving act by joining the National Bone Marrow Donor program. All that registration requires is to get a finger stick.

“The sample is saved on a card and kept until you are needed,” McCarty said.

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For more information

If you have a question about Massey’s bone marrow transplant program, phone (804) 828-4360 or click to Ask Massey.

For more information on becoming a registered bone marrow donor, visit www.marrow.org.

The mailing address for the Bone Marrow Transplant Program is:

North Hospital, 10th Floor
1300 East Marshall Street
P.O. Box 980157
Richmond, Virginia 23298‑0157

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