Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center recognized for exceptional outcomes in pediatric stem cell transplant
The Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center's adult stem cell transplant program and the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center's pediatric stem cell transplant program both received an outstanding review from the Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), scoring +1, the highest possible score, on its annual report. The +1 score demonstrates that Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center outperformed the expected one-year survival rate for allogeneic or donor stem cell transplants in the United States.
This is the fifth consecutive year that Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center's adult stem cell transplant program received a score of +1. Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center is the only large volume center to achieve this score, among large centers that performed more than 500 transplants in a 3-year period. The 2024 report reviewed 24,339 allogeneic stem cell transplants (also known as bone marrow transplants, or BMT) at 172 U.S. centers.
Among the 172 centers analyzed, Dana-Farber's adult and pediatric programs are two of only 12 centers (7%) in the U.S., and the only programs in New England and New York, that outperformed the expected one-year survival rate for donor stem cell transplants.
"It is an honor to see this year's remarkable results for both our adult and pediatric stem cell transplant programs," said Catherine Wu, MD, Chief of the Division of Adult Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies. "This recognition is a tribute to the dedication of our faculty and staff, who brilliantly balance research and patient care to achieve exceptional outcomes for our patients."
Notably, of the 46 pediatric programs analyzed, Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center was one of only two pediatric programs in the country that outperformed the expected one-year survival rate for donor stem cell transplants.
"I am incredibly proud of our team's excellence in patient care, and these outcomes are a testament to the exceptional work that we do," said Leslie Kean, MD, PhD, Director of the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. "This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to advancing pediatric stem cell therapies."
The CIBMTR report is a federally mandated analysis of outcomes data for allogeneic stem cell transplant centers. It reflects a rolling, 3-year average of transplant outcomes, while adjusting for comorbidity and disease risk in the transplant recipient. Each center is evaluated against the expected outcomes at their own center, considering the patients they treat, and a 95% confidence interval for expected survival is generated.
At Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center's adult transplant program, CIBMTR set the expected survival rate at 74.5%. Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center's actual 1-year survival rate was significantly higher at 80.6%. Similarly, CIBMTR's predicted survival rate for Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center's pediatric program was 85.9%. The pediatric program's actual survival rate was significantly higher at 91.9%, reflecting an exceptional overall survival rate for our youngest patients.
Allogeneic, or donor stem cell transplants, are used to treat an array of diseases, including leukemias, lymphomas, myeloma, anemias, and many other life-threatening blood, immune system, and genetic disorders.
