The cancer experts at OHC are the region’s leading providers of life-saving blood and marrow transplant for patients with blood cancers and other blood disorders.
OHC doctors have performed more than 2300 of these transplants, and OHC’s James H. Essell, MD, serves as Medical Director of The Jewish Hospital — Mercy Health Cincinnati Cancer and Cellular Therapy Center. The Jewish Hospital — Mercy Health Cincinnati Cancer and Cellular Therapy Center is a FACT-accredited blood and marrow transplant center. Among the best in the nation, the center is one of only two to earn this prestigious accreditation from the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations for quality patient care and laboratory practices.
The OHC bone marrow transplant specialists include:
- James H. Essell, MD, medical oncologist and hematologist, and Medical Director of The Jewish Hospital — Mercy Health Cincinnati Cancer and Cellular Therapy Center
- E. Randolph Broun, MD, medical oncologist and hematologist
- Miguel Islas-Ohlmayer, MD, medical oncologist and hematologist
- Kruti Patel, DO, medical oncologist and hematologist
What is a Blood and Marrow Transplant?
A blood and marrow transplant, sometimes called a stem cell transplant, is a procedure that restores blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow. This is necessary when a patient has had their bone marrow damaged by cancer or by cancer treatment. Blood-forming stem cells are important because they grow into different types of blood cells. The main types of blood cells are white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. You need all three types of blood cells to be healthy.
Types of Blood and Marrow Transplants
The blood-forming stem cells that are used in transplants can come from the bone marrow, bloodstream, or umbilical cord. There are two main types of transplants:
- Autologous (AUTO), where the stem cells come from the patient.
- Allogeneic (ALLO), where the stem cells come from someone else. Donors do not have to be a blood relative, but in many cases a sibling will have cells that will be compatible with the patient’s.
How Do Blood and Marrow Transplants Work Against Cancer?
Instead of working against cancer directly, bone marrow transplants help the body regain its own ability to produce stem cells after chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment.
If your OHC doctors determine a bone marrow transplant is best for you, he or she will search for a donor whose stem cells match yours. If no match is found among family members, the search widens. Millions of volunteer donors are registered with the National Marrow Donor Program.
For more information about bone marrow transplant, call OHC toll free at 1-800-710-4674. If you are a new patient or would like a second opinion, we’d be happy to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors.
