For the 10th Consecutive Year, NSH BMT Program’s Survival Outcomes Among the Nation’s Best
NSH-BMT ranks in the top 20 percent of transplant programs in the country in terms of volume of allogeneic transplants performed. According to the data, the one-year survival rate of transplant patients at Northside is 79.4 percent, which exceeds the survival expected for the hospital. For more information, please click Survival Data and review Survival Brochure (PDF).
National Outcomes Database Reports Extraordinary Ten-Year Record of Continuous Superior-Than-Expected Survival Outcomes for the Northside BMT Program
Northside is the Only BMT Program in Georgia to Report Superior Outcomes in the Current Report. Latest data provided by The Centers for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) show that the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Northside Hospital (NH-BMT) has achieved allogeneic transplant survival outcomes for 10 consecutive years that are significantly better than would be expected, given the risk profile of patients transplanted
at our center. NH-BMT is one of only two BMT Programs in the entire United States to achieve this feat.
To read this article and the full Fall 2019 issue, please click here:
Seven ASH 2019 Abstracts Accepted for Poster Presentation
Dr. Scott Solomon Publishes: Early Referral to a Combined Leukemia/Transplant Program Improves Outcomes for Older Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Patients
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is generally a disease of older adults. The median age at diagnosis is 68 years with patients diagnosed most frequently between ages 65 and 74 years. For younger AML patients, current treatment guidelines recommend intensive chemotherapy (IC) with an anthracycline and cytarabine, with the goal of remission induction. This is followed by curative-intent post-remission therapy which can vary from chemotherapy alone for favorable risk AML to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) for poor-risk patients. Such an approach can lead to long-term disease control in approximately 40–50% of younger adult AML patients.
To read the full article, please click here:
Northside Hospital Cancer Institute is a Certified Kymriah ® and Yescarta® Commercial CAR T-Cell Therapy Treatment Center
Northside Hospital Cancer Institute, a nationally recognized treatment center for leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, blood and marrow transplant, is now an authorized Kymriah ®, tisagenlecleucel, CAR T-cell treatment center. Please click Press Release for additional information.
Kymriah ®, is a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy to treat adult patients with two types of blood-derived cancers:
- Patients up to the age of twenty-five with a diagnosis of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that is refractory or in a second or greater relapse.
- Adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, high grade B-cell lymphoma and DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma.
Yescarta®, axicabtagene ciloleucel, a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy used for the following indication:
- First-ever FDA-approved CAR T cell therapy for adult patients with certain types of non-Hodgkin-lymphoma (NHL) who have relapsed or refractory disease after receiving two or more types of treatment.
To refer a CAR T-cell patient, please call 404-255-1930. For more information about CAR T-cell therapy, please click Immunotherapy Program at Northside.
Are Most Eligible or Ineligible for CAR T-cell Therapy?
Busting Marrow Myths will dispel, educate and empower patients, families and health care professionals. Check out all seven episodes providing answers, inspiration, resources and coping skills sure to make a difference.
To listen to this podcast, featuring Dr. H Kent Holland of Northside Hospital, please click here:
2019 Northside BMT Program Survivor Reunion
On October 12, 2019, 600 survivors, caregivers, physicians and staff members attended the 2019 Northside Survival Reunion held at the Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Please view our Survivor Reunion video.
Northside BMT/Leukemia/Immunotherapy Unit Nurses Brings the Sounds of the Backstreet Boys to Patient
Recently, a group of Northside nurses came together to put on an impromptu Backstreet Boys concert for a patient who was forced to miss their reunion concert after being diagnosed with cancer.
Amanda Coley had been looking forward to attending the concert on Aug. 21 with her sister, Maggie Mayes Kingston. But two weeks before the concert, Amanda, a 36-year-old mom of four, found out she had leukemia. She and her sister have been fans of the Backstreet Boys since they were 14 years old.
Amanda's sister knew she would have to miss the concert, and she was able to gather close to a dozen staff members to help surprise her. They all gathered in Amanda's room and sang a few hit songs like "I Want It That Way" and "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)."
If you would like to read the entire story, please click here.
Beth Wilson Meets Her Unrelated Donor
Alina Theine & Beth Wilson
Beth Wilson, a NSH blood and marrow unrelated donor recipient, husband surprised her for her October 2018 birthday with a March 2019 trip to Cologne, Germany. Unbeknownst to Beth, her unrelated donor, Alina Theine, was waiting at the train station when she arrived in Germany. The German donor registry, DKMS Deutschland, who helped facilitate Alina’s donor collection with the NSH BMT program, was at the train station filming their first meeting. Beth, her husband, and Alina, then traveled to the medical clinic, Cellex, to meet with medical staff who participated in Alina's donation.
Germany's national news broadcasted Beth and Alina's meeting. Since their story aired, over 300 potential donors have signed up to the DKMS donor registry. Beth and Alina also spoke about their story to three classes in two different schools and the importance to donate blood or marrow. One of the schools they visited had a student who matched a patient and has begun the donation process. Please click here to view Beth’s CNN’s donor meeting story.
If you are interested in becoming a donor, please visit, https://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/donate-bone-marrow/ Please visit Beth’s journey with acute leukemia, blood and marrow transplant, donation and survivorship after transplant on her Facebook page, Beth's Second Battle, and Instagram page, @bethdefying.
Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) Highlights Program’s Clinical Research Study, Outcomes of Haploidentical vs Matched Sibling Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in First Complete Remission
As a pioneer in the field of haploidential transplantation, we are honored to have CIBMTR share with the public our ground breaking clinical research trial results. This study was one of three selected during the third quarter 2019 by the Consumer Advocacy Committee.
To read this article, please visit the following links:
CIBMTR Study Summaries for Patients page
Dr. Holland’s September Blood Cancer Awareness Month Interview with WSB’s Perspectives Radio Program
WSB’s radio host Condace Pressley dedicated a September program to discuss how Northside’s BMT, Leukemia, and Immunotherapy programs are positively affecting the lives of patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies (blood cancers). Dr. Holland reviewed ongoing research for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), and Multiple Myeloma through CAR T-cell commercial and clinical research trials and other targeted immunotherapies that are now available to patients. Also highlighted was the advances in treating sickle cell anemia patients with haploidentical allogeneic transplants.
To listen to Dr. Holland’s WBS interview, Please log onto https://www.wsbradio.com/entertainment/multimedia/perspectives-with-condace-pressley-demand/g69S6MIUC01LR4NEBwRBaI/ and please scroll down to Perspectives S30/Ep39: Northside Hospital BMT Program
Northside BMT Presents at the September 7, 2019 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Annual Georgia Blood Cancer Conference
Over three hundred attendees participated in this free educational conference for patients, survivors and health care professionals. Dr. Melhem Solh presented an overview of state-of-the-art multiple myeloma treatments and Connie Sizemore, Pharm.D, Lead Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, spoke about Transplant Survivorship.
The Blood and Cancer Conference (BBC) is one of many programs developed by the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS) to meet the needs of people who deal with blood cancer every day and for the people that care for them.
For the Sixth Consecutive Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) Re-inspection Cycle, the NSH BMT Clinical Transplant Program Receives a Perfect Score
Melissa Horowitz, RN, Manager of Cellular Therapy and Leukemia Program, and Ashlee Holbein, RN, FACT/QI Coordinator
In November 2018, NSH clinical BMT team underwent a FACT inspection, which occurs every three years. 2018 was the first year FACT required transplant centers to undergo Immune Effector Cells (IEC) accreditation. The new IEC policies apply to immune effector cells used to modulate an immune response for therapeutic intent, such as dendritic cells, natural killer cells, T cells, and B cells. IEC includes chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) and therapeutic vaccines.
The inspection team complimented NSH BMT’s physician oversight, trained team members, organizational structure, superior survival outcomes, and programmatic commitment to excellent patient care and awarded the program a perfect FACT Inspection score. We want to congratulate our NSH-BMT clinical transplant team members for this distinguished honor.
Congratulation to the NSH-BMT Program
Successful BMT CTN Grant Renewal 2017 – 2023
NSH-BMT program achieved BMT CTN Core Center Grant renewal funding for years 2017 - 2023. Past performance, current application, and PI leadership contributed to the grant renewal. NSH-BMT applied as a consortium with University of Miami and Levine Cancer Institute. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) provide BMT CTN research grant funding.
Achieving this award is a validation of the efforts of each person in the program, the support of the administration, and leadership of the BMTGA physicians. For further information, please read Press Release.
Advances in Immunotherapy for Cancer: Novel Phase 1 Clinical Research Trial Open for Enrollment
Advances in Immunotherapy for Cancer: Novel Phase III Clinical Research Trial Open for Enrollment
Advances in Immunotherapy for Cancer: Novel Phase I Clinical Research Trial Open for Enrollment
Advances in Immunotherapy for Cancer: Novel Phase I/II Clinical Research Trial Open for Enrollment
Advances in Immunotherapy for Cancer: Novel Phase I/II Clinical Research Trial Open for Enrollment
Blood Donations are Essential for Every NSH Blood and Marrow Transplant, Leukemia and Immunotherapy Patient
Marti Hand was diagnosed with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) in April 2016 and received treatment at NSH Blood & Marrow Transplant program. Two and a half years and countless blood transfusions later, she is cancer free and thankful to the many strangers who donated blood to help her in her cancer fight. She shares her story today as a call to action for others to donate blood, supporting cancer fighters like her. View the full story here.
To learn more about blood donation and sign up to donate, visit atlantabloodservices.com
Updated 2017 Referral Guidelines: Recommended Timing For Transplant Consultation
Disease stage at the time of transplant can have a significant impact on patient survival [1] appropriate planning and early donor identification are critical for optimal outcomes.
The 2017 referral timing guidelines were developed jointly by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) /Be The Match® and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) and are based on current clinical practice, medical literature, and evidence-based reviews. [1,2]
The guidelines highlight disease categories that include patients at risk for disease progression, who should be referred for consultation for autologous or allogeneic HCT.[3]
If you have questions as to when to refer a patient for initial transplant consult, please call 404-255-1930 and ask to speak to one of our transplant physicians.
- Lee, SJ, Klein J, Haagenson M, et al. High-resolution donor-recipient HLA matching contributes to the success of unrelated donor marrow transplantation. Blood. 2007;110(13): 4576-4583. Access
- Pidala J, Lee SJ, Ahn KW, et al. Nonpermissive HLA-DPB1 mismatch increases mortality after myeloablative unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Blood. 2014:124(16):2596-2606. Access
- NMDP/Be The Match & ASBMT Recommended Timing for Transplant Consultation, 2017. Download (PDF)
Post- Blood and Marrow Transplant Immunization Schedule- What You Need to Know
After blood and marrow transplant, patients will need to be re-immunized with all childhood vaccinations due to their new immune systems being immature and vulnerable to diseases/infections. It is recommended that post-transplant patients begin their vaccination schedule six months after transplant unless clinically contraindicated. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), recommends the following:
- Inactivated influenza vaccine should be administered beginning at least 6 months after HCT and annually thereafter for the life of the patient.
- Sequential administration of 3 doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended, beginning 3-6 months after the transplant, followed by a dose of PPSV.
- A 3-dose regimen of Hib vaccine should be administered beginning 6 months after transplant; at least 1 month should separate the doses.
- MMR vaccine should be administered 24 months after transplant if the HCT recipient is immunocompetent.
- If a decision is made to vaccinate with varicella vaccine, the vaccine should be administered a minimum of 24 months after transplantation if the HCT recipient is presumed to be immunocompetent.
Please click here to view the NSH-BMT post-transplant vaccination schedule recommended for both autologous and allogeneic transplant recipients. For more specific information, see Tomblyn M, Chiller T, Einsele H, et al. Guidelines for Preventing Infectious Complications among Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Recipients: A Global Perspective [1.9MB, 96 pages]. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 15:1143-1238;2009 or visit http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines.
