Pediatric Stem Cell Transplants

If your child needs a stem cell transplant, you will want an experienced, compassionate team to guide your family along this journey. As a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, we are dedicated to improving patient outcomes. We are also part of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers dedicated to improving patient care.

• Our pediatric bone marrow transplant specialists are pioneers in blood and marrow transplantation. In 1993, Duke performed the first umbilical cord blood transplant, and we are still one of the world’s leading centers for this approach. Our physician-scientists also are investigating the potential of umbilical cord blood as a regenerative therapy for children with disorders such as autism and cerebral palsy.
• Duke’s pediatric blood and bone marrow transplant team is led by board-certified pediatric hematology-oncology specialists. We work closely with other Duke pediatric specialists to provide special care for children with additional medical problems, or who experience complications after transplantation.
• We provide a comfortable, family-friendly setting with access to all the services and experts your child needs. We have a dedicated isolation floor for children who are at a higher risk for infection, as well as a day hospital for children undergoing outpatient procedures, such as infusions or certain types of stem cell transplants.  
• All of our inpatient nurses have chosen to work exclusively with pediatric blood and marrow transplant patients. They are a highly skilled, highly educated team of caregivers who regularly share their nursing research results at international conferences.
• Our 16-bed blood and marrow transplant unit has a dedicated pharmacist whose job is to carefully manage dose adjustments and monitor for potential drug interactions. She has more than 15 years of experience working with pediatric transplant patients. 
• Our pediatric nutrition specialist helps your child maintain their optimal nutritional status during the transplant process by using both intravenous nutrition as well as oral nutrition supplements. 
• Our dedicated discharge planning nurse helps patients transition from the inpatient unit to the outpatient clinic. She visits families at the Ronald McDonald house or other local housing facilities to make sure parents are managing the many medications that are required after transplant.
• Duke is home to the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank, one of the largest public cord blood banks in the world. The extensive inventory comes from a racially diverse group of donors. This improves the chances of finding a suitable match for your child. The bank allows “directed donations,” in which the cord blood can be saved for a family member with certain serious medical conditions including sickle cell disease, congenital immunodeficiency disorder, congenital or acquired marrow failure syndrome, or an inborn error of metabolism.
• Your child may have access to the latest therapies through our innovative research programs and clinical trials. One of our current studies, for example, is investigating a novel use of white blood cells for transplant patients with life-threatening infections. Our researchers also have developed a cell therapy, DUOC-01, to treat children undergoing standard cord blood transplants for congenital metabolic diseases. It is hoped that this therapy will speed up the delivery of the missing proteins to these children with inherited deficiencies.
• Our donor search coordinator, financial coordinators, housing coordinator, and developmental psychologists will guide your family through the process and help you support your child’s recovery.
• Our Family Support Program, made possible by generous donors, provides resources and services for the entire family. These include patient incentive programs, activities and gifts for siblings, and community meals for caregivers.