Improved Stem Cell Transplant Outcomes Achieved at Roswell Park; Named Optum Center of Excellence

 

Optum, a national health service leader, has once again recognized Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center as a Center of Excellence for both pediatric and adult stem cell transplant programs.

The announcement comes shortly after a new paper, published by Roswell Park experts, detailed a 92.6% survival rate at one year for adults who underwent an allogenic hematopoietic cell transplant (alloHCT) at the center, thanks to the adoption of new procedures aimed at limiting the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

This is the second time Roswell Park has been recognized by Optum for its excellence in both adult and pediatric stem cell transplants, a rigorous certification process that requires Optum’s Clinical Sciences Institute to ensure it meets specific criteria assessing clinical expertise, patient outcomes and quality of care.

Roswell Park, the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in New York State outside of New York City, was one of the first centers in the world to routinely offer adult patients stem cell or bone marrow transplants as a treatment option.

“Modern cell therapy is an opportunity for renewal and often a path toward cure for aggressive blood cancers,” says Brian Betts, MD, Vice Chair of Strategic Initiatives for Roswell Park’s Transplant & Cellular Therapy Program.  “In addition to exceptional transplant outcomes, Roswell Park also takes safety, quality, and patient convenience to heart. This includes practice standards that permit outpatient cell therapy and limited hospital stays, so patients can focus on recovery. This designation highlights Roswell Park’s success in providing world-class care as well as the highest tier of innovative therapies right here in Buffalo.”

The recognition also applies to the collaborative efforts of Roswell Park Golisano Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Program, which provides a potentially curative stem cell or bone marrow transplant option for eligible patients from infancy up to age 25, with conditions ranging from leukemia and lymphoma to rarer diseases including neuroblastoma and brain tumors.

Roswell Park’s designation as an Optum Center of Excellence reflects the exceptional pediatric stem cell transplant care made possible through our partnership with Golisano Children’s Hospital,” says Kara Kelly, MD, the Waldemar J. Kaminski Endowed Chair of Pediatrics at Roswell Park and Chief of the Roswell Park Golisano Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Program. “Together, we ensure that children and families in Western New York can receive world-class care close to home without compromising access to the highest standards of excellence.”

A “new era” for transplantation

Earlier this year, a study published by Roswell Park experts in the journal Transplantation and Cellular Therapy indicated that focusing on standardizing processes and workflows around blood and marrow transplant resulted in a higher-than-national-average one-year survival rate among patients, 92.6% compared to around 80%.

These results greatly surpass the historical benchmarks for alloHCT and indicate that structured, center-level approaches may contribute to meaningful improvements for these patients.

“We are in a new era for transplantation now, and that means more people will be good candidates for this potentially curative treatment options for leukemias, other blood disorders, and even some non-cancer indication,” says Dr. Betts, senior author on the study, led in collaboration with Shernan Holtan, MD, Chief of Blood and Marrow Transplant, and Megan Herr, PhD, an Associate Member of the Department of Medicine.

Among the changes implemented at Roswell Park include a shortened regimen of less-toxic treatments; the use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide to reduce the incidence of GvHD; broader access to transplants for people over the age of 60 and others who historically have not been considered good candidates for alloHCT, and an early discharge outpatient care model allowing patients to recover in their homes.