Treatment with bone marrow transplant is now offered by many cancer centers. However, all transplant programs are not the same. Patients who have been told they would benefit from a bone marrow transplant naturally would like to receive their care from the very best program available.

There are many factors to consider when selecting a bone marrow transplant program. The range of diseases treated, types of transplant offered, and experience and expertise of caregivers are all important considerations. So are the quality of treatment facilities, patient support services, and follow-up care.

Access to the very latest therapies, through clinical trials of promising new treatments, can help extend the survival rates of people with advanced or complex disease. A facility’s clinical outcomes statistics, and the quality of life their patients experience after treatment, can provide additional insights.

Quality Indicators

1. Depth of Experience: Duke has earned national and global recognition for its leadership in the use of bone marrow/stem cell transplantation to treat many types of pediatric and adult cancer. Duke is consistently ranked among the nation’s premier health care institutions.
2. Volume of Procedures: Duke is one of the nation’s leading centers of bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. Since the program began in 1984, we have performed over 3,000 transplants.
3. Clinical Expertise and Qualifications: The physicians working within Duke’s Adult Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation Program are all board-certified, and include intensivists in bone marrow transplantation, hematology-oncology, medical oncology, and related specialties.
4. A Truly Multidisciplinary Approach: In addition to our highly trained physicians, our multidisciplinary team also includes nurse practitioners, social workers, pharmacists, nutritionists, physical therapists, and even financial advisors, all working together to create individualized treatment regimens designed to meet each patient’s unique needs.
5. Access to Emerging and Experimental Therapeutic Strategies: Duke’s leadership in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation research means that we provide the very latest approaches -- often a factor of special significance for patients with refractory or recurrent malignancies. With clinicians and scientists working in close proximity within our center, our program enjoys an unusual degree of creative collaboration and a true “bench-to-bedside” approach to patient care. We can also offer stem cell transplantation as an option to a broader number of patients -- including those who are older, sicker, or lacking a closely matched donor -- through the use of less intense chemotherapy regimes, pharmacological manipulation and selection of donor cells, and the use of partially matched cord blood or haplo-identical stem cells.
6. Comprehensive Support Services: Duke’s bone marrow transplantation services include a constellation of support services designed to assist the patient and his/her family members or caregivers through every step of care, including support groups, assistance with lodging, on-site food services and nutritional counseling, financial counseling, in-home care, and help with many other emotional and logistical concerns.

The ABMT Team

The Adult Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant (ABMT) team includes health care professionals who are specially trained in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and dedicated to helping you through all phases of the transplant process.

They will determine whether you are a good candidate for a transplant and then provide you with the information and support necessary to decide the right treatment for you. You will meet each member of the team during different periods of your care.

Once you are enrolled on a transplant protocol, the ABMT team will provide you with the treatment and care required throughout the transplant process. However, you are the most important member of the transplant team and your participation is vital. Throughout your treatment we will encourage you to ask questions and take an active role in your treatment and recovery.

About the Team

Our board-certified physicians specialize in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. They will oversee your treatment care. During treatment, the transplant physician will work closely with your home physician and keep the physician informed of your clinical status.

The transplant coordinators are the primary contact for you, your family, and your home physician during the transplant process. The transplant coordinator assigned to you will work closely with you and your home physician in coordinating the tests, exams, and treatments received at Duke.

The nurse practitioners and physician assistants work closely with the physicians and other transplant team members in providing your care. They work in both the outpatient clinic and inpatient unit.

The clinical pharmacist meets with patients to discuss the medications prescribed, educating them on why each medication is important and any possible side effects. The pharmacist works closely with other team members, including the physicians and nursing staff in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Financial counselors work closely with you and your insurance company in determining the transplant benefits of your policy. If your insurance company requires authorization, the financial counselors send the insurance company the information they need to review your case and determine eligibility. The counselor will help you with understanding your benefits and provide information about other sources of funding.

The nursing staffs in the inpatient unit and outpatient clinic are registered nurses specializing in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. Nurses on the inpatient unit will care for you any time you are admitted to the inpatient unit. Nurses in the clinic will administer priming chemotherapy and possibly growth factor in preparation for apheresis. They also complete the continuum of care with stem cell reinfusion and supportive care during recovery until you are discharged.

The clinical social worker specializes in determining the emotional, financial, and social impact of transplantation on both you and your family. They will work closely with you throughout the transplant process, providing information and emotional support that will help you and your family during this time.

A registered dietitian and dietetic technician will be available to you and your family to help you understand your nutritional needs and restrictions. They will monitor your food intake during and immediately following transplant.

The physical therapist is trained to evaluate your musculoskeletal system and exercise capacity. This team member will help develop an exercise plan you can use while at Duke and after you return home.