KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The merger of the blood and marrow transplant (BMT) programs of The University of Kansas Hospital and Kansas City Cancer Center has produced results beyond expectations. The program grew 134 percent during the first eight months of the 2008 fiscal year, compared with 2007.
The opening of the hospital’s Cancer Center and Medical Pavilion on the Westwood Campus contributed to the growth.
Jeff Wright, executive director of cancer services at The University of Kansas Hospital, said, “These were two strong programs to begin with, but the numbers speak for themselves, we are performing beyond expectations.”
According to Dr. Joseph McGuirk, the program’s director, doctors expect to perform 125 to 140 transplants in 2008, in addition to seeing 70 to 75 new leukemia patients.
“We combined not just the BMT program, but also the leukemia program, making ours the largest hematological malignancy program between St. Louis and Denver,” McGuirk said.
McGuirk, who came from Kansas City Oncology, said any early apprehensions about the merger has quickly disappeared and the combined program has benefited everyone.
“The hospital has been unbelievably supportive, providing new facilities, enormous staff, enthusiasm and support. This large and robust program is very important to the university and Cancer Center in pursuit of becoming an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center designation. The current levels of activity provide a very rich soil for thoughtful clinical and translational research efforts,” he said.
Blood and marrow transplantation is a potentially life-saving treatment for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and other hematological (or blood) diseases.
A marrow or blood cell transplant replaces a patient’s unhealthy blood cells with healthy blood-forming cells. These cells come from marrow, umbilical cord blood and blood-forming cells collected from the blood, commonly known as PBSC (peripheral blood stem cells). Since 1977, the hospital’s BMT program has pioneered the advancement of bone marrow and peripheral stem cell transplantation in the area. The program is a designated National Marrow Donor program center.