Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute announced the implementation of a Hematologic Malignancy Cell Therapy program.
Led by Hana Safah, MD, medical director of heme-malignancy and cell therapy, and Nakhle Saba, MD, leader of lymphoid malignancy and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy, the program provides medical management of blood cancers and blood disorders, clinical trials related to blood cancers and cellular therapies, adult allogeneic stem cell/bone marrow transplants, and adult autologous stem cell/bone marrow transplants. It is one of few in the state and region to provide many of these services.
Safah and Saba are well-known experts in cancer care across the state and the country with more than 50 years of combined experience in cell therapy. Additionally, the pair are professors of medicine and will maintain their academic status in their new practice.
“Our Lady of the Lake Health is proud to have provided 100 years of care to our community and has been the regional leader in cancer care for decades,” said Chuck Spicer, president of Our Lady of the Lake Health. “We are proud to provide a premier therapeutic cancer treatment program to our community. The combined expertise Dr. Safah and Dr. Saba bring to our patients will expand on the world-class cancer care Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute offers right here at home.”
Safah obtained a medical degree from the American University of Beirut in 1987. In 1991, she completed residency training in Internal Medicine at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. In 1994, she completed fellowship training in hematology and medical oncology at the University of Florida. She served as the medical director of heme malignancy and stem cell transplantation at Tulane school of medicine and advised on several committees including, but not limited to, Investigation Review Board, Institutional Review Board Committee on Use of Human Subjects, Critical Care Committee, and the Tulane University Promotions & Tenure Committee. Her areas of specialty include hematologic malignancies, bone marrow transplantation, leukemia, lymphoma myeloproliferative disorders, aplastic anemia, MDS, PNH, and multiple myeloma. Safah has published numerous articles and papers and has conducted many clinical trials.
Saba earned a medical degree from the Lebanese University in Beirut 2005. He completed a residency in internal medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN, and Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, and a fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at Tulane University. After fellowship completion in 2011, Saba joined the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) for an additional fellowship in lymphoid malignancies. He returned to Tulane in 2014 as assistant professor of medicine, promoted to associate professor in 2018, then to full professor in 2024 following a successful career researching, teaching and treating blood cancers. Saba’s leadership skills are evident by the roles he played at Tulane as chair of the “immune effector cell therapy – IECT,” co-chair of Sarah-Cannon Lymphoma Committee and president of Louisiana Oncology Society (LOS). Under his direction as president, the LOS passed four bills that were signed into law in Louisiana and are expected to positively impact cancer care in our state. Those bills include the Bone Marrow Donation, Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients, Right to Prompt Coverage, and Expansion of Biomarker Testing. Saba authored and/or co-authored more than 120 published manuscripts and research abstracts, and he presented at regional, national, and international meetings as a researcher and invited speaker. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine for Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology. Dr. Saba will be diligently working to expand the lymphoma and CLL research portfolio and bring cutting edge therapies to the region such as CAR-T, the next generation CAR, and be the first to bring the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) for solid tumors to Louisiana.
"At Our Lady of the Cancer Institute, we remain dedicated to advancing medical excellence and compassionate care for our patients. With the addition of such renowned specialists, Dr. Safah and Dr. Saba, our team is further strengthened, ensuring that patients receive cutting-edge treatments and the personalized care they deserve,” said James Craven, MD, chief physician officer, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. “Together, we are not just treating cancer but also fostering hope and healing in the lives of those we serve."