Hana Safah, MD, performed an autologous bone marrow transplant on Jan. 22, marking a milestone for Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute’s newest heme-malignancy cell therapy program.
Autologous transplants are used to treat common blood cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. This type of transplant involves the patient receiving their own stem cells after chemotherapy.
“Through transplants like this, we're able to provide patients with cancers a new hope in their diagnosis,” said Chuck Spicer, president of Our Lady of the Lake Health. “This is a testament to the Cancer Institute’s ongoing mission to provide the most advanced and innovative cancer treatments to the region.”
Safah, director of heme-malignancy and cell therapy, and Nakhle Saba, MD, director of lymphoid malignancy and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy, lead the Cancer Institute’s hematologic malignancy cell therapy program. They have over 50 years of combined experience in cell therapy.
“We have been blessed to welcome Dr. Safah and Dr. Saba to lead our bone marrow transplant program in the fall of 2024,” said Susan Foret, vice president of cancer services at Our Lady of the Lake. “Their breadth of knowledge and experience coupled with the Cancer Institute’s investment in these lifesaving procedures is helping change cancer care in the Baton Rouge area.”
In addition to autologous bone marrow transplant, the program projects its first allogeneic bone marrow transplant — which involves a donor — to take place in the fall 2025.