Focused on the patient - Baylor Health Care System

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12<strong>Focused</strong> on specialized caretion center, and an apheresis collection center. Baylor Dallas is one of only eight programsnationwide to offer all four of these components.Each year, on the anniversary of their initial accreditation membership, all NMDP networkcenters are reviewed to ensure their continued compliance with membership standards.The transplant center is reviewed based upon criteria adopted by the NMDP to ensure thathematopoietic stem cells from unrelated donors will be transplanted at institutions experiencedin allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Donor centers are held to guidelines establishedto ensure that unrelated marrow donors are medically eligible and informed about thehematopoietic stem cell donation process and to safeguard the donor’s health and confidentiality.Apheresis and bone marrow collection centers must continuously meet standardsthat promote donor safety and product quality to include collection, testing, labeling, andtransportation of the product. In 2007, our program was again accredited in all four areas;the program has been continuously accredited since 1984.To assess these patients’complex needs and helpthem develop a higherlevel of function, avariety of professionalsare involved, includingsocial workers, physicaltherapists, occupationaltherapists, and dietitians.Graft-Versus-Host Disease ClinicThe Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) Clinic at Baylor Sammons Cancer Center helpspatients with serious physical complications and psychosocial issues resulting from GVHD.This multidisciplinary clinic is held monthly in the outpatient Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic.Chronic GVHD usually develops at least 3 months after transplant and consists of a reactionbetween the immunological cells (those transplanted from the donor) and recipient cells(those from the individual receiving the transplant). The reaction is most commonly seen inthe liver, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. Many patients experience significant disabling anddisfiguring physical changes from chronic GVHD, which can lead to loss of function, poorbody image, and lack of self-esteem.To assess these patients’ complex needs and help them develop a higher level of function,a variety of professionals are involved, including social workers, physical therapists, occupationaltherapists, and dietitians. The clinic staff is highly specialized and has considerableclinical expertise in treating patients with GVHD. The clinic staff, including Estil Vance, MD,medical oncologist and Jennifer Cather, MD, dermatologist, both on the medical staff atBaylor Dallas, is highly specialized and has considerable clinical expertise in treatingpatients with GVHD.Update on the Apheresis Unit: Novel Researchby Luis Piñeiro, MDDr. Luis PiñeiroThe apheresis unit at Baylor Sammons Cancer Center continues to play an important supportingrole to the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. It collected approximately 500stem cell products in 2007. These products were utilized for autologous and allogeneictransplants. Thirteen of these products were collected from donors of the National MarrowDonor Program, for which Baylor serves as a collection center. In addition, the unitperformed nearly 600 extracorporeal photopheresis procedures for the treatment of graftversus-hostdisease (GVHD).
<strong>Focused</strong> on specialized care 13The apheresis unit also performs procedures for patients at Baylor University MedicalCenter. These consisted of plasma exchanges, leukopheresis, platelet-pheresis, and red cellexchanges. These procedures are considered essential treatment for a variety of disordersin different fields of medicine: neurology, nephrology, hematology, and rheumatology, inaddition to solid organ transplantation.The unit is involved instudies exploring noveluses of adult stem cellsfor tissue repair.Collaboration in research studies continues to be a priority for the apheresis unit as wellas the marrow processing laboratories. Stem cells have been collected for the study ofdendritic cells in normal volunteers, as well as for research studies of dendritic cells for theAmanda SwinkAmanda Swink has cause for celebration: she recently reachedthe 1-year anniversary of a new, life-saving procedure. In 2006,23-year-old Amanda became the recipient of the first successfulcord blood transplant at Baylor University Medical Center atDallas. From birth, Amanda had a rare disorder called severecyclic neutropenia, which later degenerated into leukemia.Luckily, 6 years earlier a mother of a newborn boy voluntarilydonated her son’s cord blood to a volunteer cord blood bank.This made the cord blood available to any person who mightneed it to treat cancer. Registry search experts at Baylor Dallasidentified the cord from this infant as a potential perfect matchfor Amanda.Amanda Swink and stepdaughter, Deanna, enjoying a Springday at the park.Amanda was hospitalized and prepared for transplantationwith chemotherapy and radiation. The cord blood unit wasflown by courier to Baylor Dallas where Amanda received itas a transfusion. A year later, Amanda’s leukemia remains inremission, and she is enjoying a happy, productive and normallife.Stories such as Amanda Swink’s give us hope that the future of leukemia and cancers of the blood will soon be treated withsimple and easy-to-tolerate treatments. Innovation and research remain the cornerstones in the field or transplantation.Improvements in survival and outcome are made daily. In fact, statistically the survival of patients undergoing transplantationhas improved nationally, year by year, over the past decade. Such improvement gives hope that patients may continueto enjoy a quality of life that is superior to that of a patient undergoing cancer treatment.It is toward this end that the research team and program continue to fund developed research activities and present theirdata at national meetings. We continue to strive for excellence in clinical and compassionate care.
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