For Immediate Release
February 7, 2006

BUFFALO, NY - More than 1,000 patients have undergone Blood and Marrow Transplantations (BMT) for treatment of cancer and blood disorders at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) since 1991. BMT patients and their families and the BMT Team at Roswell Park celebrated this milestone at a reception, Tuesday, February 7.

BMT recipients and their families shared post- transplant stories about weddings, births, and graduations with each other and visited with RPCI faculty and staff. The event also celebrated the memory and courage of those who lost their fight against cancer.

Thanks to advances in technology and medical research, BMT is used to treat a variety of cancers, including certain leukemias, lymphomas, multiple myelomas and some solid tumors, and also for non-malignant diseases, such as aplastic anemia.

RPCI offers both autologous (self-donated) and allogeneic (from a related or unrelated donor) transplantation of peripheral blood, bone marrow or cord blood. The procedure involves destroying the cells in the patient's bone marrow with intensive chemotherapy alone or combined with radiation, followed by a "rescue" in which the marrow or stem cells are replaced. A transplant allows physicians to replace diseased or damaged bone marrow after treatment, increasing the likelihood of a cure, or at least prolonging survival.

"Blood and marrow transplantations have evolved and improved over the years. Patients have benefited from research which has led to significant reductions in hospital stays, better drug treatments and less intense transplant regimens," said Philip McCarthy, MD, Director of Roswell’s BMT Program. "While transplants are less intense, the process is still arduous. I continue to be inspired by the courage of these patients and their families."

Roswell Park is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy and certified by the National Marrow Donor Program as a Transplant Center as well as a Blood and Marrow Collection Center. Patients who are in need of blood or marrow transplants for a variety of diseases, but who do not have suitable related donors, no longer have to leave Upstate New York for treatment. RPCI has access to the over four million potential donors through national and international registries, and serves as a regional referral center for blood and marrow collection.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation's first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute- designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. For more information, visit the RPCI website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

 

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