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Adult Stem Cell Transplant Program

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Looking for the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Center?

The Stem Cell Transplant Center at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center is one of the world's largest, most experienced pediatric stem cell transplant centers.

Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program

Stem cell/bone marrow transplant offers some patients with blood cancers and blood disorders the possibility of a cure, and others a longer period of disease-free survival. Founded in 1972, our Adult Stem Cell Transplant Program is one of the largest and most experienced in the world.

Experience Matters

Our stem cell/bone marrow transplant program performs approximately 500 transplants each year and has performed more than 11,600 transplants in the program’s history. This includes more than 5,500 allogeneic transplants and more than 5,100 autologous transplants. This experience makes a difference for our patients.

Our patients' outcomes regularly exceed expected outcomes as established by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, which reports and analyzes outcomes for recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. In the most recent report (2022), only 6% of centers achieved this outcome level. Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center was the largest center to achieve this outcome.

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Celebrating 50 Years of Stem Cell Transplantation

 

Learn about the history, progress, and innovation in the adult stem cell transplantation program over the past 50 years.

Explore Our History

Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Transplant for a Range of Blood Cancers and Disorders

Stem cell/bone marrow transplant can be an effective treatment for a variety of hematologic malignancies, bone marrow failure syndromes, and rare and congenital blood disorders. We are experienced in stem cell transplant for a variety of hematologic malignancies, bone marrow failure syndromes, and rare and congenital blood disorders. This includes:

Blood Cancers and Malignant Disorders

  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
  • Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
  • Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/SLL
  • Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
  • Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • T-cell lymphoma
  • Mantle cell lymphoma
  • Follicular lymphoma
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Waldenström's macroglobulinemia
  • Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN)
  • Testicular or germ cell cancer
  • And others

Myeloproliferative Disorders and Myelodysplastic Syndromes

  • Myelofibrosis
  • Myeloproliferative disorders (MPD)
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)
  • Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML)
  • And others

Non-Malignancy and Congenital Blood Disorders

  • Aplastic anemia
  • Diamond-Blackfan anemia
  • Dyskeratosis congenita
  • MonoMAC Syndrome
  • Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)
  • Shwachman-Diamond syndrome
  • Sickle cell anemia
  • Thalassemia
  • Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)
  • Immunodeficiency syndromes
  • And others

Expertise in All Types of Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Transplant

We perform both autologous and allogeneic stem cell/bone marrow transplants.

For allogeneic patients (i.e., those requiring donor stem cells), we offer:

  • Related donor transplant
  • Haploidentical ("half-match") transplant with a biological parent, child, or sibling
  • Unrelated donor transplant — our unrelated donor program is the largest in the world
  • Umbilical cord blood transplant
  • Reduced-intensity ("mini" or "RIC") transplant
  • Outpatient transplant for some patients

Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Transplant for Older Adults

Reduced-intensity transplants use lower doses of chemotherapy and have been a major factor in extending stem cell/bone marrow transplants for older adults up into their 70s. Our program has transplanted more than 5,000 patients over 55 years old. Our Older Adult Hematologic Malignancies Program provides dedicated support for older patients.

Resources for International Patients

From exceptional medical care to support with housing and other logistics, we offer many services to international patients:

  • Remote consults and online second opinions to evaluate a diagnosis or recommended treatment plans/options
  • Patient navigators who accompany patients to appointments
  • Interpreter services
  • Nutrition Services, with attention to special dietary needs
  • Dedicated social work resources
  • Extensive patient education materials in print, online, and video formats, many of which are translated for non-English speaking patients and caregivers 
International Patient Services

Program Accreditations, Registrations and Licenses

  • Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT)
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  • American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • The Joint Commission
  • Fully accredited with the NMDP

Clinical and Research Affiliations

  • Member of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR)
  • Charter member of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network of the National Institutes of Health (BMT-CTN)
  • Member of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (formerly CALGB)
  • Founding member of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute

The Basics of Stem Cell Transplantation

Joseph Antin, MD, presents "The Basics of Stem Cell Transplantation" at Cancer Survivorship 101 on June 8, 2019, an event produced by Survivor Journeys™.

Related Programs

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Cellular Therapies Program

Our Cellular Therapies Program is at the forefront of novel cellular therapies that help the immune system fight cancer such as CAR T-cell therapy, cancer vaccines, NK-cell therapy and other genetically-modified T cells.

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Donate Bone Marrow and Stem Cells

Approximately 30 percent of patients in need of a stem cell donor find a match within their families. The remaining 70 percent search a worldwide database of unrelated volunteer donors, who may be their match and are willing to donate life-saving cells. Learn about how you can become a potential stem cell donor.

Services and Support at Dana-Farber

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Becoming Our Patient

As a new Dana-Farber patient, find answers to questions about your first visit: what to bring, how to find us, where to park, and how to prepare.

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Support Services and Amenities

We offer a wide range of services, from financial planning to creative arts to spiritual counsel, to support our patients through their cancer experiences.

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How Our Patients Rate Dana-Farber

See patient satisfaction survey results for different Dana-Farber locations collected by Press Ganey, an independent company experienced in patient satisfaction surveying.