Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, a part of Baylor Scott & White Health, and Texas Oncology are celebrating more than 35 years of life-changing work in the field of inpatient blood and marrow transplantation (BMT).
The expansive inpatient program offered at Baylor University Medical Center is one of the largest in the nation with a multidisciplinary team that focuses on everything from research to patient care. Over the past 35 years, the program has:
- Performed more than 6,000 inpatient transplants
- Enrolled patients in numerous clinical trials — which often are jointly conducted with physicians from Texas Oncology — that offer innovative treatment options
- Expanded from a handful of staff members to a team of over 100 committed caregivers and support personnel
- Grown from the first groundbreaking transplant in 1983 to performing more than 200 procedures per year
A History of Quality
Complementing the inpatient services at Baylor University Medical Center and supporting a comprehensive continuum of care, outpatient blood and marrow transplantation services are offered by Texas Oncology – Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center*. Texas Oncology is an independent, community-based oncology practice that offers patients high-quality cancer care, including access to leading-edge technology, advanced treatment options, and a robust cancer research program.
The milestone 6,000th inpatient transplant would not have been possible without the involvement of physicians at Texas Oncology. Every blood and marrow transplant at Baylor University Medical Center begins with a Texas Oncology consultation, where a physician evaluates the patient to determine whether a transplant is the best treatment option.
"We are honored to have served so many patients with the Baylor University Medical Center blood and marrow transplant program," said Robert Brian Berryman, M.D., medical oncologist and blood and marrow transplant specialist at Texas Oncology – Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center Blood and Marrow Transplant. "The advancements in medicine over the past 35 years have been nothing short of groundbreaking. We look forward to continuing this successful collaboration, focusing on offering patients the latest options available for treating leukemia, lymphoma and all other blood cancers."
Continuing Innovation
Both Baylor University Medical Center and Texas Oncology are committed to evolving inpatient and outpatient blood and marrow transplantation services through research and groundbreaking therapies that could enhance and extend patients' lives.
Most notably, these organizations are two of the first North Texas providers to offer chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T) for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia for patients under 25 years of age. CAR-T therapy offers patients a more personalized therapy by re-engineering their own natural T-cells to fight the patient's cancer.
Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and Texas Oncology are enrolling in more than two dozen clinical trials for patients diagnosed with cancers of the blood. These studies cover the full spectrum of oncology research from phase one (the first stage available for humans) to phase three (final stage before Food and Drug Administration approval).
One such trial being offered is a phase-three study focused on targeting cancer cells in leukemia patients through a one-time microscopic procedure. The trial has shown promising results and may indicate a new method to effectively deplete infected bone marrow, enabling the patient to be eligible for a bone marrow transplant.
"It is astounding to recognize not only how far each of our respective organizations have come, but also how far medical advancements have come in this field," said Luis Piñeiro, M.D., medical director, blood and marrow transplant program at Baylor University Medical Center and medical oncologist and blood and marrow transplant specialist at Texas Oncology – Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center*. "To go from invasive surgeries and long recoveries to now offering outpatient procedures is a true transformation. I am honored to work alongside my esteemed colleagues at both Texas Oncology and Baylor Scott & White, two organizations focused on all aspects of medicine, from research to patient-driven care."
About Texas Oncology
As an independent oncology practice with more than 420 physicians and 175 locations, Texas Oncology's community-based care offers patients high-quality cancer care without compromise, including access to leading-edge technology, advanced treatment options, and access to clinical trials. As a primary participant in US Oncology Research, Texas Oncology played a role in more than 70 FDA-approved therapies, about one-third of all cancer therapies approved by the agency to date. Texas Center for Proton Therapy, Texas Breast Specialists, and Texas Center for Interventional Surgery are part of Texas Oncology. Texas Oncology is a member of The US Oncology Network, one of the nation's largest community-based cancer treatment and research networks. For more information, visit www.TexasOncology.com.
*Texas Oncology has offices located at, but is not a part of or affiliated with, Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center.
Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health's subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers or Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2019 Baylor Scott & White Health.
# # #
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com