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Blood & Marrow Transplantation Program

Welcome to the website of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) program at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center. This as a source of information for our patients and their families, their caregivers and health care professionals and for all those interested in the U-M BMT program.

The U-M Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, one of the largest in the country, is internationally known for its research into novel approaches to make transplantation safer and more effective. The program's scientists have made major contributions to understanding the mechanisms of how transplants cure leukemias and lymphomas as well as how to prevent the toxicities of treatment.

Special emphases include the use of new transplant approaches for patients with significant medical complications. Dr. James L.M. Ferrara is the past-chairman of the steering committee of the national Blood and Marrow Clinical Trials Network, which is the largest organization in the United States for developing novel BMT clinical trials.

The clinical program treats both children and adults and is staffed by full-time physicians who devote their entire medical practice to BMT patients; all nurses, physician assistants, social workers and transplant coordinators are specifically trained in stem-cell transplantation. The entire BMT team gathers several times a week to discuss patient care, providing multidisciplinary, comprehensive solutions that are individually tailored for each patient.

The program treats patients with leukemia, lymphoma, myelodysplasia, neuroblastoma, bone and soft-tissue sarcomas, brain tumors, bone-marrow failure and immunodeficiency disorders. The optimal source of stem cells, be it bone marrow, blood or umbilical cord blood is determined according to the needs of the patient. Autologous and allogeneic (both related and unrelated) transplant approaches are offered.

The program is accredited by the Foundation for Accreditation of Hematopoietic Cell Therapy and is also approved by the National Marrow Donor Program, the Southwest Oncology Group and the Children's Cancer Group.

James Ferrara, MD Director, Blood and Marrow Transplant Program
University of Michigan Cancer Center

-last updated 7/09

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