Search Results for: stem cell transplant

What’s the Difference Between Outpatient Stem Cell Transplants and Inpatient Transplants?

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A stem cell transplant is a procedure during which doctors either replace diseased or ineffective stem cells with healthy new stem cells as treatment for leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers or diseases. The infusion of healthy stem cells reestablishes a healthy blood supply and rebuilds the body’s immune system to effectively fight cancer.   At Dana-Farber, patients can be eligible for a stem cell transplant in either an outpatient or inpatient setting. This is often determined by a variety of factors, including … Read more

Still Skiing at 82 After Stem Cell Transplant 

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Dienna Lehner grew up in a Massachusetts town with a small ski hill and a rope tow.   “It was hot dogs, tomato soup, and an outdoor fireplace,” she recalls. “And it was Nirvana.”  Later in life, she opted to spend her winters in Park City, Utah, to enjoy big mountain skiing. The conditions have been mild this year, but last year she skied all season – which … Read more

Bond with Clinical Team Helps Retiree Through MDS and Stem Cell Transplant

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Bill Kelley’s unbreakable bond with the clinical team that guided him through myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a group of rare blood disorders impacting the bone marrow, and a stem cell transplant was never more evident than during a Sunday night in the summer of 2025.  Kelley’s sister Joan had arranged a surprise 70th birthday baseball outing for him and 30 of his friends and family members at Boston’s Fenway Park, where Kelley had grown up … Read more

Teen Survivor of T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Aims High After Stem Cell Transplant  

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Nolan Young has aspirations of a career in both the Air Force and FBI, and even at age 15 it’s easy to imagine him achieving these goals. After all, when you’ve already endured the rigors of chemotherapy, radiation, emergency surgeries, and a stem cell transplant for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) — all before high … Read more

Stem Cell Transplant Recipient Forms Powerful Bond with Doctor and Donor  

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“The world needs more Dr. Soiffers – and more Nicoles.”  Such is the wisdom of Judy Mangione, 80, who credits these two individuals for the fulfilling life she is enjoying with her husband, Bob, and their combined six children and 10 grandchildren.  Robert Soiffer, MD, treated Mangione with the January 2022 stem cell transplant that … Read more

Artist Explores the Renewal and Healing of Stem Cell Transplants 

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In 2023, Denise “Necee” Regis was brought face to face with her old art studio building on Brookline Avenue. As she walked by, she was able to identify the window that belonged to the room where she once spent the late 70s and early 80s working on a Master of Fine Arts at the Massachusetts … Read more

Access to Stem Cell Transplant Expands with Novel Methods 

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A white patient looking for a stem cell donor has about a 75% chance of finding a fully-matched unrelated donor in the U.S. NMDP Registry. A fully matched donor has the same human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type, a set of eight genetic variables that dictate how the immune system communicates.   Finding a fully matched donor … Read more

After Outpatient Stem Cell Transplant, MDS Survivor Writes New Chapter 

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David Trueblood’s long career in journalism was shaped by new technology, including the rise of digital photography and the impact of online media. So, upon learning in early 2023 that he would need a stem cell transplant due to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder impacting his bone marrow, Trueblood appreciated the role innovation … Read more

Patient is First at Dana-Farber to Undergo Outpatient Stem Cell Transplant for Myeloma 

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In most ways, Bill Ross’s stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center (DFBCC) wasn’t out of the ordinary. He received chemotherapy to destroy the tumor cells in his body and then an infusion of his own hematopoietic stem cells, which flocked to his bone marrow and regenerated his blood supply. Over … Read more

Can Stem Cell Transplants Cure Cancer?

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Stem cell transplantation refers to transplants of blood-forming stem cells taken from the bone marrow or collected from the bloodstream. Autologous transplants use the patient’s own stem cells, while allogeneic transplants use stem cells provided by a donor. Stem cell transplants offer some patients with blood-related cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma the … Read more

Stem Cell Transplant and CAR T-cell Therapy: When Are They Used for Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma?

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For many patients with lymphoma or multiple myeloma, a stem cell transplant with their own stem cells (an autologous transplant) or CAR T-cell therapy can extend life significantly or even cure the disease. A variety of factors influence which of these two treatments is recommended, including:  What is the difference between stem cell transplant and … Read more

Autologous or Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants: Which Will My Doctor Recommend?

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Both allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplants involve treating a patient with chemotherapy followed by an infusion of blood-forming stem cells, with a goal of curing the cancer or extending the time before the disease relapses. In adults, transplants are used to treat a range of blood-related cancers, myelodysplastic syndromes, and non-malignant blood disorders. Autologous … Read more

Early Stem Cell Transplant Recipient Says Success Was ‘In the Bag’

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By Howard Brown As the Adult Stem Cell Transplant Program at Dana-Farber celebrates its 50th anniversary, one cancer survivor whose 1990 transplant came when the procedure was far more arduous — and far less successful — reflects on his experience. I have a four-by-three-inch plastic bag that I’ve saved for more than 32 years. It’s … Read more

Stem Cell Transplant Gives MDS Patient a Second Chance at Life

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Every year, Nancy Demers celebrates two birthdays. The first marks the day she was born: August 6, 1943. The second — March 20, 2015 — is the day the then-71-year-old Connecticut resident received a stem cell transplant at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and the start of a healthy new life. Eighteen months prior, in September … Read more

Seeking Stem Cell Transplant, Basketball Expert Makes Slam Dunk Decision

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As an economist specializing in statistical analysis, Dan Rosenbaum has done everything from help the federal government use more evidence in its decision-making to assist several National Basketball Association (NBA) teams in finding and signing the best players. Research and number-crunching are his expertise, so when Rosenbaum learned he needed a life-saving stem cell transplant … Read more

High School Basketball Coach has a New Perspective on Life After a Successful Stem Cell Transplant

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For Duane Witter, the most difficult part of his cancer treatment was recovering from his stem cell transplant and having to step away from teaching and coaching high school basketball in Farmington, CT. “Before all this, I used to say that my superpower was to never miss a day of school,” he says. “Stepping away … Read more

Surviving Stem Cell Transplant: New Hope When the Donor Isn’t a Full Match

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To see Tara Daniels today, with a corporate job in marketing and about to close on a house, you’d never know what she’s been through, how thrilled she is to be alive. This month marks five years since she received a high-risk bone marrow transplant for a life-threatening blood cancer. Tara woke up feeling sick … Read more