Director: Kenneth R. Cooke, M.D.
Clinical Director: Susan R. Wiersma, M.D.
Program Coordinator: Vicki Fisher
The Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program provides transplantation as a treatment option for a variety of acquired and congenital disorders of children and young adults including hematopoietic malignancies, solid tumors, bone marrow failure syndromes, inherited immune deficiency syndromes and metabolic diseases.
Various stem cell sources are utilized; peripheral blood stem cells, bone marrow and umbilical cord blood. Both allogeneic myeloablative and non-myeloablative regimens are performed at our center. High dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue is available as a tandem and non-tandem option for many of the solid tumors.
Transplants are performed from related and unrelated donors. The transplant program utilizes the numerous cord blood banks nationally and internationally available. The Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program is a member of the National Marrow Donor Program. (NMDP). The transplant program functions jointly as a part of the Ireland cancer Center Blood and Marrow Transplant Program.
The Blood and Marrow Transplant Program is FAHCT accredited. The center is an approved transplant program for the Children's Oncology Group (COG).
The Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program has developed a monitored outpatient program and is currently developing several other clinical pathways.
The pediatric transplant program is a member of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium, one of the 64 member institutions focusing on pediatric transplantation. Susan R. Wiersma, MD serves as the consortium's Supportive Care Strategy Group co-chairman, the committee oversees the development and initiation of all clinical trials involved in the care of transplant patients. Vicki L. Fisher RN MSN CPNP is chair of the Nursing strategy group and a member of the executive committee. The nursing strategy group oversees all aspects of patient education and long term follow-up post transplantation.
Patients are managed by an integrated team of phycians, a nurse practitioner, social workers, inpatient and outpatient nurses. The Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program has identified sub- specialists in each of the subspecialties which assist in the care of the transplant patient. Patients receive their in patient care in a 20 bed designated oncology floor on the second floor of Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. Ambulatory care is obtained in the Ireland Cancer Center, located on the 6th floor of the Bolwell building. Patients may receive chemotherapy infusions, blood component transfusions, stem cell infusions and extensive evaluations without necessitating admission to the hospital.