Roswell Park Blood & Marrow Transplant Program Recognized for Superior Outcomes

BUFFALO, NY — For the fourth consecutive year, outcomes for patients receiving allogeneic transplants through the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Roswell Park) have been shown to be significantly better than would be expected among the patient population treated. The latest report compiled by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) identifies Roswell Park as one of 13 “over-performing” U.S. transplant centers.

The CIBMTR collects and annually publishes data from centers that perform allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation (BMT), which involves infusion of bone marrow or blood cells from a related or unrelated donor and is commonly used to treat many blood cancers, including acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myeloma and lymphoma. The international research organization’s 2013 report analyzed related-donor and unrelated-donor transplants performed between 2009 and 2011, reflecting outcomes data for 168 U.S. centers.

Among those 168 centers, Roswell Park was one of 13 whose patient outcomes — specifically, the survival rate for allogeneic BMT patients one year following transplant — were above what could be expected based on case acuity, which takes into consideration factors such as a patient’s age, co-morbidities, remission status and level of donor match. Just six of those 13 centers, including Roswell Park, were identified as “over-performing” in both the 2012 and 2013 CIBMTR reports.

“These annual assessments from the CIBMTR are a benchmark that is important for all transplant centers and patients,” notes Philip McCarthy, MD, Professor of Oncology and Director of the Blood & Marrow Transplant Program. “We’re proud of our consistent high performance, which means better survival for our patients, who are facing difficult diagnoses and complex, long-term treatment plans.”

For more information about the CIBMTR and its reports, visit www.cibmtr.org.

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The mission of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1898, Roswell Park is one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email AskRoswell@Roswellpark.org. Follow Roswell Park on Facebook and Twitter.