Historic 10,000th Bone Marrow Transplant Reached

The City of Hope Cancer Center has reached a historic milestone but performing the 10,000th bone marrow transplant:

"City of Hope, which helped pioneer bone marrow transplantation three and a half decades ago, performed its 10,000th transplant on Jan. 13, becoming one of the first institutions in the world to reach this milestone. Bone marrow or stem cell transplantation -- collectively known as hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) -- is a complex, often lifesaving procedure in which stem cells are used to help cure patients of their cancer. It is most often used for patients battling diseases like leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

“Day to day, our work is all about a single life at stake that we’re trying to save,” said Stephen J. Forman, M.D., Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and chair of the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. “Reaching 10,000, you think about the many people -- children and adults -- who have benefited from City of Hope’s care and research -- the many wonderful people who have come here trusting us to care for them, hoping for a cure.”"

Read More: http://www.businesswire.com/news/topix/20110113006638/en