Treatments and Procedures for Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program
Leading the way for blood cancer treatment
Bone marrow — which manufactures important blood cells for the body — can be damaged by cancer, cancer treatment or other disorders. This damage can be diagnosed and treated through a variety of procedures, including stem cell transplantation.
New procedures we offer
- Autologous Transplant
-
You receive your own stem cells after bone marrow clearing chemotherapy.
- Allogeneic Transplant
-
You receive stem cells from a donor after bone marrow clearing chemotherapy. Stem cells can come from a variety of sources, including:
- Sibling, parent or child
- Donor found on a stem cell registry
- Umbilical cord
Additionally, we can perform a donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI), which is a second infusion of stem cells from a donor given to boost the efficacy of the unrelated donor transplant as needed.
- Apheresis
-
This outpatient procedure is the primary way we collect stem cells for transplant. Stem cells from the marrow are introduced into the circulating blood using a medication then collected, allowing the rest of the blood to return to your body.
- Bone marrow harvest
-
Completed under general anesthesia, this surgical procedure collects stem cells directly from the bone marrow.
- Bone marrow biopsies
-
During this procedure, a small amount of bone marrow is taken out using a long, thin needle while under localized anesthesia. It can be completed in the doctor's office, though some biopsies must be completed in the hospital if full anesthesia is needed.
- Lumbar Punctures and Intrathecal Chemo
-
This procedure injects chemotherapy directly into the central nervous system. It can be completed in the doctor's office, though some cases requiring a CT scan must be completed in the hospital.
- Infusions
-
Chemotherapy infusions are common in blood and marrow transplants. We use chemotherapy to help prepare your body to accept the stem cells in the transplant.
Blood products, like platelets or antibodies, are often infused after transplant to help support your recovery.
- Therapeutic apheresis
-
Several procedures fall under therapeutic apheresis — all of which involve removing certain elements from the blood and return the rest to your body. These procedures help alleviate symptoms for some patients.
The team here brings over 40 years of total experience in transplantation, clinical trials and education.
Yvonne Efebera, MD, Director of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy
Cancers and conditions we treat
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
- Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
- Amyloidosis
- Aplastic anemia
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
- Chronic myeloid (myelogenous) leukemia (CML)
- Myeloproliferative disorders
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
- Myeloproliferative disorders
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)
- POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal-protein, and skin changes)
- MGRS (monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance)
- Non-cancer disorders treated:
- Hemoglobinopathies: thalassemia and sickle cell disease
Referring a patient?
Get in touch with a cancer specialist who can answer your questions and connect you to our cancer physicians, programs and services. Contact OhioHealth CancerCall Monday-Friday, 8 AM-5 PM.