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The Adult Blood and Marrow |
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Information:
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Introduction The Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics performed its first transplant in January of 1980. The first transplants were done using matched sibling marrow donors. Two issues quickly became obvious: 1. This form of therapy offered a revolutionary change in the approach and outcome for patients with devastating cancers, and, 2. It was quite evident that alternative sources of marrow stem cells would be necessary for many patients who could benefit from this therapy but who did not have a matched sibling. The program for autologous marrow stem cell donation (that is, donating to oneself) was established in 1982, initially for patients with lymphoma - a disease in which the bone marrow often is not contaminated with tumor cells. Subsequently, patients with a variety of other cancers have benefited from this approach, including those with breast cancer. In 1981 the University of Iowa's B&MT Program was one of the first programs to use an unrelated marrow donor to do a transplant. The first formally constituted Unrelated Marrow Donor Registry in the world was established at the University of Iowa Hospitals in 1984 and the first publication in the medical literature of a group of patients transplanted with unrelated donor marrow came from our center in 1985. These early research efforts in critical areas of blood and marrow stem cell transplantation continue to characterize our program. As a part of an NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, we continue to be fully committed to research that leads to improvements in the outcome of this therapy and to its wider application. To that end we are involved in national studies, cooperative group studies and center-based, investigator initiated studies in the prevention and treatment of graft versus host disease, the prevention and treatment of recurrent cancer following a transplant, more effective induction therapy for patients with lymphoma who are candidates for transplant therapy, and the use of transplant approaches in the treatment of solid tumor malignancies and immunological diseases. We have an established track record for treating women with breast cancer using a more aggressive regimen than has been employed elsewhere. Research in supportive care has also been deemed important and so we continue to be involved in studies on antibiotic use, blood and marrow stem cell growth factor use and methods to improve on the safety of blood product transfusions. In short, excellence in patient care is the center-piece of our program. It is our firm belief, however, that this center-piece rests on continued research endeavors, both in the laboratory and at the bedside. We invite you to explore this site, either to learn more about our program or to decide whether our program fits with your specific needs. We extend to you our best wishes! Roger Gingrich, M.D., Ph.D.
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