Patient Services

The Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT) Program of UPMC Cancer Centers is the largest regional provider of stem cell transplantation services in western Pennsylvania. Since 1990, the Program has performed more than 1,400 bone marrow or stem cell transplants to treat patients with a variety of diseases. Because the majority of patients now are treated with stem cell transplantation, the phrase "stem cell" has come to replace "bone marrow" in referring to these procedures. The Program currently performs 130 transplants a year.

The Program is committed to developing and improving stem cell transplantation therapies for adults with cancer and non-cancerous disorders. The Program works closely with hematologists-oncologists in determining each patient’s course of treatment and it offers patients a comprehensive array of services designed to provide patients with exceptional care. Investigators at the Program also are at the forefront of research focused on improving the effectiveness of transplants in patients, reducing or eliminating potentially harmful side effects that may be associated with a transplant and using stem cell transplants for new clinical indications.

New patient consultations and acute post-transplant outpatient care are provided at Hillman Cancer Center. The Program provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary outpatient services for patients with graft-versus-host-disease and for both acute and long-term follow-up care of allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplant recipients. Patients treated exclusively on an outpatient basis are closely managed by a comprehensive medical team and paired with a caregiver trained in monitoring patients outside the clinic while they recuperate.

Since 2000, the Program’s outpatient stem cell transplant team has performed more than 181 outpatient autologous stem cell transplants for indications including multiple myeloma, Hodgkin’s Disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and for selected cases of acute myelocytic leukemia. Outpatient facilities at the Hillman Cancer Center will include apheresis suites, extensive diagnostic imaging services and spacious rooms for patients undergoing stem cell transplantation on an ambulatory basis.

The Program also currently offers inpatient services at UPMC Shadyside. The recently remodeled, inpatient SCT unit consists of 27 single-patient rooms and the region’s largest, state-of-the-art inpatient stem cell transplant unit.

New patients should arrange for their medical records to be forwarded prior to their appointment or hand-deliver them the day of their appointment. Patients should allow adequate time for a thorough examination and expect to provide a complete medical history, including current medications.

The Program is one of two Foundation for Accreditation of Hematopoietic Cell Therapy (FACT)-accredited programs in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or Ohio accredited for both allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation. This accreditation ensures that the Program meets rigorous standards that assure the provision of quality medical and laboratory practice in stem cell collection, processing and transplantation.

To schedule an appointment at UPMC Cancer Centers, please call 412-647-2811 or 412-235-1052.

More information:

• Program Reputation
• Your SCT Health Care Team
• Patient Support

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