Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program
The Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program at Children’s of Alabama – the state’s only dedicated pediatric bone marrow transplant facility – specializes in therapies to treat leukemia and other forms of cancer, rare genetic conditions, immune deficiencies, bone marrow failure syndromes and sickle cell disease. Single and tandem autologous
transplants are performed for certain malignant conditions, including brain tumors. Allogeneic transplants using marrow, peripheral blood stem cells or cord blood from related or unrelated donors are performed for malignant and non-malignant disorders.
Three full-time pediatric physicians are part of a highly experienced multidisciplinary team that transplants 20-30 children each year, having performed more than 330 transplantations in the program’s 13-year history. Support services include an on-site pharmacy, child life services, an occupational/physical therapy team, neuropsychology services, social work support, nutritionists, pastoral care and a certified teacher. The transplant unit consists of eight private inpatient and four outpatient rooms and is HEPA-filtered and self-contained, helping to maintain family integrity.
In conjunction with the Children’s Oncology Group and the Pediatric Blood Marrow Transplant Consortium, transplant protocols have been developed to provide optimal treatments for children and adolescents with different types of cancer, immune deficiencies, or other blood disorders. The facility is National Marrow Donor Program® certified, accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, and participates in the NACHRI Quality Transformation Network and the CLABSI collaborative.
Disease states transplanted at the Blood and Marrow Program include:
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
- Aplastic Anemia
- Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes
(including Fanconi Anemia) - Brain Tumors
- Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
- Congenital Immune Deficiencies
- Juvenile Myelomyonocytic Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Metabolic Storage Disorders
- Neuroblastoma
- Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia
- Soft Tissue Sarcomas