UMMS Connection: Fighting Cancer
with Transplants

The Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center brings new hope to cancer patients battling leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Led by Saul Yanovich, MD, the program specializes in providing autologous and allogenic bone marrow and stem cell transplantation.

Bone marrow transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation restore stem cells that have been destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. The procedures can offer hope of a cure when standard cancer treatment is unsuccessful.

In autologous transplants, the patient’s own bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells are removed and reserved. They are then returned to the patient after chemotherapy or radiation. The cells begin to produce a new population of blood cells, often allowing patients’ bone marrow and immune functioning to return to normal.

In allogenic transplants, patients receive bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells from a donor.

The Blood and Marrow Transplant Team follows the multidisciplinary model of care. This means that medical oncologists, hematologists, pathologists, nurses, nutritionists, social workers and genetic counselors all work together to provide the most effective care possible.

In addition to leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, team physicians also have used bone marrow and stem cell transplantation for people battling Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, testicular cancer and aplastic anemia.