2020 Castle Connolly Top Doctor Awards
We are proud to announce our five BMTGA physicians were selected as 2020 Castle Connolly Top Doctor recipients and were recently featured in the New York Times. We congratulate our dedicated physicians.
View the full Awards here
National Leaders in Allogeneic Transplantation
For an 11th consecutive year, The Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute has been recognized as having among the best survival outcomes in the United States for bone marrow transplants.
One hundred seventy adult and pediatric transplant centers were included in the analysis of patients who received their first allogeneic transplant between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017 using unrelated or related donors and who had reported follow-up. The one-year survival of patients transplanted at Northside was 81.1%.
For additional information, click Survival Data and Survival Brochure.
CAR T-cell Immunotherapy Program is Now an Approved FDA TECARTUS (brexucabtagene autoleucel) Center for the Treatment of Adult Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma
We are pleased to announce TECARTUS (brexucabtagene autoleucel) is now available at Northside Hospital’s Immunotherapy Program, the first and only FDA-approved CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy (CAR T-cell) indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). This indication was approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and durability of response. 1,2
Please call 404-255-1930 to speak with a physician or to refer a patient.
References: 1. BusinessWire.com Press Release. Kite submits biologics license application to U.S. Food and Drug Administration for company's second CAR T cell therapy. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191211005861/en/. Published December 11, 2019. Accessed June 15, 2020. 2. TECARTUS™ (brexucabtagene autoleucel). Prescribing information. Kite Pharma, Inc; 2020.
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.
Our BMT and Leukemia Patient Kelly Barnwell, RN, Shares Her Remarkable Haploidentical Transplant Journey
Light the Night Virtual 2020 Campaign
Donate Now
Light The Night is a series of fundraising campaigns benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) funding of research to find blood cancer cures. Please watch our leukemia clinical coordinator, Taylor Schrek, RN, describe her role in coordinating care for patients diagnosed with leukemia and other blood cancers.
To donate, please visit https://www.lightthenight.org/events/atlanta
We Celebrate our Partnership with Amgen Oncology and StoryCorps
Blood Counts is a national effort led by Amgen Oncology in collaboration with StoryCorps to raise awareness about two blood cancers — multiple myeloma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) — through the sharing of personal stories. They reflect conversations of hope and support between patients, caregivers, doctors, nurses, researchers and advocates. Click below to hear Blood Counts stories that were recorded at Northside Hospital Blood and Marrow & Leukemia Program.
Alan Kraimer and Laura Hoffman | Dr. Dawn Speckhart and Octavia Kronemberg | Melissa Henson and Kathy McNatt | Elizabeth Boronat and Rashi Grover
Atlanta Blood Services is collecting convalescent plasma donations from individuals who have had a lab-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and have fully recovered from a COVID-19 infection.
Contact information to become a COVID-19 convalescent plasma donor:
By Phone: 404-477-1298 or 404-477-1299
By Email: absinfo@bmtga.com | Online: atlantabloodservices.com
Please click here for additional details and information on how to participate.
Atlanta Blood Services está recolectando donaciones de plasma convalecientes de individuos que han tenido un análisis de anticuerpos confirmado por laboratorio o positivo, y se han recuperado completamente de una infección por COVID-19.
Información de contacto para convertirse en un donante de plasma convaleciente de COVID-19:
Por teléfono: 404-477-1298
Por correo electrónico: absinfo@bmtga.com | Por Internet: atlantabloodservices.com
Haga clic aquí para obtener detalles adicionales e información sobre cómo participar.
We Thank Dr. Lonnie Herzog and Family for Donating Convalescent Plasma
Dr. Lonnie Herzog is an Internal Medicine physician in Atlanta, GA. He has spent over 30 years treating patients with Primary Care Physicians of Atlanta at Northside Hospital. Now, he is not only using his experience and training to save lives, he is using what is inside him.
The plasma collected by Atlanta Blood Services (ABS) is being used for patients at Northside Hospital, which is another reason it was important for Dr. Herzog to donate with ABS. “We went through being sick as a family. We can donate and help other’s as a family. The patients at Northside have always been part of our family.”
To read Dr. Herzog and his family’s story, please click here.
We Thank Our Convalescent Plasma Donor Heroes
To schedule an appointment to donate Convalescent Plasma, please call Atlanta Blood Services at 404-477-1298.
Thank You to Our Family Convalescent Plasma Donors
To schedule an appointment to donate Convalescent Plasma, please call Atlanta Blood Services at 404-477-1298.
Request for Convalescent Plasma Donations
WSB TV recently interviewed Dr. Kent Holland, who discussed the urgent need for convalescent plasma donations to treat ill Covid-19 patients.
To schedule an appointment to donate Convalescent Plasma, please call Atlanta Blood Services at 404-477-1298.
Keith Guernsey Appears on Eleven Alive’s Morning Rush
Our NH BMT patient, Keith Guernsey, who received an autologous transplant for Multiple Myeloma, was featured on a recent Eleven Alive Morning Rush TV broadcast. Keith spoke of his appreciation and gratitude to the NSH and BMTGA doctors and nurses who cared for him during and after his transplant.
Keith is also a MyelomaCrowd, www.myelomacrowd.org, coach. His story, How a Cancer Diagnosis Saved His Life can be viewed here.
Keith and Susan are honored to announce a joint promotion with the American Cancer Society where they will be donating 25 cents/copy for any of our books (including our newest "Overcoming the Odds") ordered between 8/26/2020 and 10/31/2020 to this wonderful organization.
For the Sixth Consecutive Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) Re-inspection Cycle, the NH 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, NH 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 NH 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 NH-BMT clinical transplant team members for this distinguished honor.
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:
Congratulation to the NH-BMT Program
Successful BMT CTN Grant Renewal 2017 – 2023
NH-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. NH-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 I 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 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 Clinical Research Trial Open for Enrollment
Advances in Immunotherapy for Cancer: Novel Phase I Clinical Research Trial Open for Enrollment
Blood Donations are Essential for Every NH Blood and Marrow Transplant, Leukemia and Immunotherapy Patient
Marti Hand was diagnosed with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) in April 2016 and received treatment at NH 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
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 NH-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.
