NNUH stem cell treatment receives international acclaim
The stem cell transplant service for cancer patients at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) has gained centre of excellence status.
The service which treats patients from NNUH and the James Paget University Hospital, has been given international accreditation by the Joint Accreditation Committee-ISCT Europe & EBMT (JACIE).
JACIE's primary aim is to promote high quality patient care and laboratory performance through an internationally recognised system of accreditation.
The haematology department at NNUH specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of blood system cancers. There are more than 130 different types of cancers of the blood. They are initially commonly sub-divided into the leukaemias, the lymph gland and spleen cancers (the lymphomas) and other cancers of the bone marrow such as myeloma.
The team at NNUH perform approximately 20-30 procedures per year, involving harvesting stem cells from potential patients’ blood. The patients then receive high doses of chemotherapy or radiotherapy to treat their underlying condition. This treatment can make the patient very susceptible to life threatening infections because of the effects of treatment on protective white cells and bone marrow function. Patients either stay in isolation in the hospital or at home are advised to avoid crowded areas, contact with others who have illness and to follow a neutropaenic diet (avoiding blue cheese, unpasteurised milk, peeling fruit, to reduce the bacterial load through the diet) whilst their immune system is weakened. The previously collected stem cells are then returned to the patient, by infusion, and the patient is closely monitored for the following two weeks until normal bone marrow function is restored.
These procedures are for patients with potentially curable lymphoma and leukaemia and can also help to improve survival rates of patients with myeloma.
The team involved in achieving accreditation includes:
• Dr Matthew Lawes, Director of the Stem Cell Transplant Service
• Professor Kris Bowles, Consultant Haematologist
• Dr Isobel Gow, Speciality Doctor
• Paula Holmes, Quality Manager
• Haematology Cancer Nurse Specialists Gill Pout and Amanda Hutchings
Director of the Stem Cell Transplant Service, Dr Matthew Lawes, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and something the team has been working towards for six years. It means we are providing a high standard of care for stem cell transplant patients in Norfolk.
“The accreditation is very important because it demonstrates that we are now internationally recognised as a centre of excellence in the field of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, previously known as bone marrow transplantation.”
Notes to editors
JACIE is a non-profit body established for the purposes of assessment and accreditation in the field of haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation. The Committee was founded by the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT), the two leading scientific organisations involved with HSC transplantation in Europe.
JACIE in collaboration with the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) has established standards for the provision of quality medical and laboratory practice in HSC transplantation; conducts inspections, and accredits programmes that will encourage health institutions and facilities performing HSC transplantation to voluntarily meet these standards; and recognises compliance with standards by issuance of Certificates of Accreditation.
JACIE in collaboration with the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) has established standards for the provision of quality medical and laboratory practice in HSC transplantation; conducts inspections, and accredits programmes that will encourage health institutions and facilities performing HSC transplantation to voluntarily meet these standards; and recognises compliance with standards by issuance of Certificates of Accreditation.