Bone marrow transplants
Hematopoietic stem cells are the "parent" blood cells that
produce white cells to fight infection, platelets to allow the blood
to clot normally, red cells to carry oxygen to tissue, and lymphocytes,
which make up the immune system of the body. Stem cells are found in
bone marrow and umbilical cord blood as well as in blood after administration
of growth factors.
Transplantation
of these stem cells can be used in the treatment of cancer
and other life threatening illnesses along with high doses
of chemotherapy and radiation. The immune cells from the
stem cell transplant act to prevent the cancer from spreading.
In some situations, the patient can serve as his/her own
stem cell donor (autologous).
In other situations, it is preferable to obtain stem cells
from someone else (allogeneic).
Bone
marrow transplants are used to treat more than 60 life-threatening
diseases including:
- Acute
and chronic leukemias
- Hodgkin's
and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas
- Sickle
cell anemia
- Testicular
cancer
- Neuroblastoma
- Brain
cancer
- Myeloma
Serving
pediatric and adult patients, we offer a full range of transplant
therapies, including:
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Evaluation
A successful transplant requires the patient to be healthy
enough to undergo the rigors of the transplant procedure.
Age, general physical condition, the patient's diagnosis
and the stage of the disease are all considered by the physician
when determining whether a person should undergo a transplant.
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Procedure
A patient admitted to the blood and bone marrow transplant
unit will undergo several days of chemotherapy or radiation
to destroy cancerous cells and make room for the new bone
marrow. Patients receive the stem cells intravenously a
few days after their treatments.
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Early
follow-up care
The most critical time for the patient is two to four weeks
after the transplant. The high-dose chemotherapy or radiation
given to the patient before the transplant to destroy the
cancer also cripples the body's blood production and immune
system. As the patient waits for the transplanted marrow
to migrate to the cavities of the large bones, and replenish
the blood and bolster the immune system, he or she is very
susceptible to infection and excessive bleeding. Extraordinary
precautions are taken to minimize the patient's exposure
to viruses, bacteria and fungi. A patient usually spends
the first several weeks after the transplant in the hospital.
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Long-term
care
After leaving the hospital, a patient continues recovering
at home. It usually takes up to six months for patients
to return to full-time work after a transplant. It can take
up to a year for the new stem cells and immune system to
function normally. Patients are closely monitored during
this time to identify any infections or complications.
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The
Shands at UF difference
The Shands at UF Blood and Marrow Transplant and Leukemia Service of
the University of
Florida Shands Cancer Center uses a multidisciplinary team approach
to patient care that optimizes patient outcomes and satisfaction. Our
program was the first in Florida to receive accreditation from the Foundation
for Accreditation of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (FAHCT).
The Shands at the University of Florida Blood and Marrow Transplant
Program was established in 1981, making it the oldest in Florida. The
program has performed more than 1,300 blood and marrow transplants and
is one of the largest in the South east..
Shands
at UF is the first site in Florida to offer "mini"
transplants. Such non-myeloablative transplants use less
intensive conditioning regimens and are an alternative for
thousands of cancer patients either too old or too ill to
withstand transplantation using approaches that employ high
doses of chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Our
medical firsts include:
2000
Florida's first pediatric placenta/umbilical cord blood
transplant for sickle cell anemia
1997 Florida's first mini bone marrow transplant for lymphoma
1996 Florida's first adult placenta/umbilical cord blood
transplant for leukemia
1995 Florida's first pediatric placenta/umbilical cord blood
transplant for leukemia
1995 Nation's third and Southeast's first placenta/umbilical
cord blood bank
1983 Florida's first pediatric bone marrow transplant
Additional facts about the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Shands at UF and the University of Florida Shands Cancer Center:
- Accredited hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) center (with more than 2,000 transplants)
- Large experience in stem cell collection, processing and cryopreservation
- Core center for two National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) networks:
- Blood &Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (2007-2011)
- Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (2007-2012)
- National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) collection and transplant center
- Member of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant (CIBMT)
- National Institute for Health (NIH) funded programs in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine research
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Team
 John R. Wingard, M.D.
UF
College of Medicine professor of Hematology and Oncology, medical director
of the Shands at UF Bone Marrow Transplant program and UF Shands Cancer
Center associate director of clinical and translational research
 Jan
S. Moreb M.D.
UF College of Medicine professor of Hematology and Oncology
Information
about blood and bone marrow transplantations at Shands
If you are interested in more information on the treatment
programs and options offered by physicians practicing at
Shands at the University of Florida, you are invited to
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Related
information
National
marrow donor program
Child
receives transplant at Shands |
